Watch: How S’properly’s Founder Constructed a $100 Million Enterprise By Convincing Folks to Give Up Plastic Bottles

According to Sarah Kauss, founder of S’well, not every company can generate $ 100 million in sales without raising external funding. But for their company, which makes insulated reusable water bottles with a trendy design, bootstrapping felt natural. “I really wanted to make sure there was a really strong company out there before I ever thought about bringing in debt,” Kauss told Lindsay Blakely, Managing Editor of Inc.com, on Inc.’s latest streaming event, Real Talk “. “And then one thing led to another, and it was 10 years later and we were really profitable and we didn’t have to do any of that.”

Without the right product, however, this success would not have been possible. Check out the clips below for advice from Kauss on designing a product that customers want to show off – and building a brand that they want to endorse.

Here’s how to fill your knowledge gaps when you’re a first-time founder:

On the strategy that got S’well to get his first press coverage:

What to do with copycat products

Why she decided to replace herself with a new CEO:

On the advantages and risks of premium prices: