While Friday’s Entrepreneur Fireside Chat got off to a five-minute late start last week, launching late is not always a bad thing when it comes to releasing your initial product, said student entrepreneur Bobby Gattuso.
“You have to understand and know when you’re ready to [take] those big steps. … [You have to] really understand when it’s ready to properly launch,” he explained to the group of students and faculty members gathered for the weekly chat presented by the Minor in Entrepreneurship and Student Launch Pad.
Gattuso, who is finishing his bachelor’s degree in Biology at TowsonUniversity, is the founder and CEO of the beer augmenting product Hop Theory. Hop Theory is a dry-hopping, tea-bag like product that can be dropped into any beer. The product does not add any alcohol to the drink, but instead enhances and adds flavor. This way you can enjoy the taste of a more expensive craft beer at a price closer to that of a cheaper light beer. The product comes in a pack of twelve, each sachet individually wrapped, that way you can bring them with you anywhere, in your pocket, purse or wallet. Additionally, each sachet is biodegradable and can be used in up to four different drinks.
“You have to understand and know when you’re ready to [take] those big steps. … [You have to] really understand when it’s ready to properly launch.” -Bobby Gattuso
Gattuso came up with the idea in 2013, but he did not actively pursue the business prospect for another six months. It took him another six months to design the Hop theory logo and another six months to start his marketing campaign. It seems that Gattuso worked in six month intervals, eventually coming to the point where he could produce and offer his product online in August 2015.
Though Gattuso comes from a family of doctors, he hopes to eventually open his own distilling and microbrewery plant.
“I still have a desire to do the distilling and mircobrewing. [Hop Theory] was my way in. … I really do want to get into that after I launch this properly,” he said.
Gattuso is releasing a new Hop Theory product in January of 2017. He plans to create multiple blends, all with titles based off of scientific theories. And although Gattuso’s product is still being tweaked, he is confident and excited about the new Hop Theory blend to be released.
“Whatever consumers want, I will find a way to bring it to them,” he said.
In addition to talking about his expanding company, Gattuso offered advice to the budding entrepreneurs attending his chat. He even allowed several students to get up and practice their pitches. Three students were brave enough to get up: there was Collin Miles (and his iHelp app), Colby Roluff (and his SafetyFirst child safety wristband product), and Ryan Perpall (and his Breakbox glass-recycling business). Each are taking steps to turn their ideas into reality and were aided with an extra bit of pitching practice.
There are two more Fireside Chats left this semester. Next week, Brooke Hall and Justin Allen of Light city and What Weekly will be chatting.