It all started during my senior year of college. I was frustrated that none of the bottles I owned were both minimal and functional — there was always something missing. So, I decided to design my own. Magnets came to mind, which I thought would be unique and fun to fidget with.
About a week later, I grabbed some scrap cardboard, cut out discs, and embedded magnets into them. The prototype was ugly, but it worked — and that was enough to keep me going.
After graduation, I was offered a full-time job at an AI startup — the safe, logical choice. Instead, I turned it down and invested in myself. I bought my first 3D printer and used my student email to get professional CAD software free for a year.
With a business degree and no engineering background, the learning curve was steep. But every late night of trial and error brought the bottle closer to reality.
I went into “stealth mode,” afraid of judgment for going all-in on something as ridiculous as a bottle. I was so secretive about the project that I even kept it hidden in my bag on a family trip.
That’s when it hit me: if I couldn’t even share it with them, I might be wasting my entire summer building something no one else would care about. I needed validation, and I needed it fast.
Sitting in the airport, I propped my phone on my backpack and recorded a quick nine-second clip of the bottle’s magnetic motion. Right before I boarded my flight, the first comment came in: “Trash.”
I shut my phone off and got on the plane, convinced I’d wasted months. But when I landed for my layover and checked again, I couldn’t believe it. The post had blown up — tens of thousands of views, hundreds of comments, and people asking where they could order one. By the end of the week, the video had over 2 million views.
To test the waters, I quickly threw together a landing page to see if anyone would actually sign up (you can still view that original page here). Within days, over 150 people had joined the waitlist.
That’s when the project officially became Pōhutu — named after the largest geyser in New Zealand. Just like a geyser, the straw shoots upward with controlled force. And to me, the name carried beauty, uniqueness, and a sense of wonder.
This journey has been fueled by late nights, empty savings, and the belief that simple things deserve to feel extraordinary. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported the project so far — from the early Reddit commenters to you, whose taken the time to read my story.
Now it’s time to share Pōhutu with the world. The Kickstarter is launching soon, and my biggest hope is that you’re as delighted with the final product as I am.
Best,
Lucas