Episode 202: Bruce Smith - CEO & Founder, Hydrow

The VentureFizz Podcast

Did you know that rowing works 86% of your muscles? It provides a full-body workout that puts less stress on your joints, yet it’s been an under-rated exercise in terms of popularity. Maybe that’s because of accessibility, as rowing on the water is not as easy to pull off as it is to run and cycle outside and let’s face it, the old style rowing machines in gyms were never really that appealing. Technology has caught up with the needs of consumers where you can have a fully immersive and instructor led experience right in your own home and let’s not ignore how the pandemic has really turned the fitness industry upside down. Well, now rowing is having its moment and Hydrow is leading the charge. Hydrow is the company behind the beautifully designed Live Outdoor Reality rower. In addition, they are a content company that provides classes with world-class athletes which are streamlined live on the water and they are building a massive library of classes.. It’s not a coincidence that Bruce founded Hydrow. As you’ll learn from our conversation, he has been involved in the sport of rowing for many, many years as a rower, coach, and entrepreneur. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * How competition within an industry can help pick each other up. * Bruce’s background growing up including how he got involved in rowing and his career in the sport. * A deep dive into Hydrow in terms of creating their product, producing content, scaling the company, and more. * How they were able to land comedian and actor, Kevin Hart, as a Creative Director and investor in the company. * Advice for founders on building out their initial core team. * A look into the future of the fitness industry. * And so much more. If you like the show, please remember to subscribe and review us on iTunes, Soundcloud, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.