In this episode of Beyond the Trailhead, I sit down with Peter Williams, founder and creator of DRYE Fan.
This might be one of the biggest “why didn’t I think of that?” products we’ve had on the podcast.
If you use a hydration bladder for hiking, backpacking, trail running, cycling, hunting, rucking, or pretty much anything outside, you probably know the problem.
DRYE is a small rechargeable fan system designed to actively move air through hydration reservoirs instead of waiting days for them to air dry. Peter designed the system to be modular so different adapters can eventually work with CamelBak, HydraPak, running flasks, military hydration systems, and other reservoir designs.
We get into:
• How Peter came up with DRYE Fan • The Utah motorcycle trip that finally pushed him to solve the problem • Why hydration bladders are so frustrating to dry • Going from a hacked-together fan to a real product • Why the simplest product ideas can sometimes be the best ones • Peter’s background running a creative and branding agency • What he learned working around product development for companies like Samsung • Why hiring an experienced industrial designer early was one of his best decisions • Why manufacturing knowledge matters before you ever build the product • Patents, NDAs, intellectual property, and protecting a new idea • Why taking an idea from “I thought of this” to actually manufacturing it is such a huge leap • Buying a 3D printer to prototype parts • Why DRYE took roughly two years to develop • Building the logo, packaging, website, trade show booth, and entire brand • Why good marketing matters almost as much as having a good product • What Liquid Death can teach entrepreneurs about branding • How Peter approached his first Outdoor Retailer show as a founder • Winning the Buyer’s Choice Award at Outdoor Retailer • Why his booth location next to Backcountry ended up being an incredible opportunity • How social media helped drive traffic to the booth • Why founders need to actually look excited about their own products • Why Peter says he’s “all in” on DRYE • Manufacturing delays nobody warns you about • Why something as simple as cutting microfiber strips became a production headache • Why Peter still opens boxes and adds parts himself • Getting his wife and kids involved in packing products • How minimum order quantities can destroy your budget if you don’t ask about them early • Why injection molding takes so much time and money • Why one adapter cannot magically fit every hydration brand • Using 3D printing to test adapters before committing to expensive molds • What it’s like dealing with Amazon as a small business • Listening to customer feedback without taking it personally • Where DRYE Fan goes next
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