SM: Outside of the US hydropower is viewed in a positive light. Here it has a stigma. Why is this? WK: I think there have been a number of large lawsuits brought by the environmental community over the years that the government has lost. They have dealt with the health of the ecosystem, and the Endangered
SM: How many people did you have helping you out on this? WK: It was just me. Towards the end of 2007 and in early 2008 I was out of funding and running on fumes. As we progressed into 2008 I was approached by Mike Draper about what we were doing.
SM: What did you do when you got the patent in October of 2005? WK: I kissed it! I then put it in the bank vault.
SM: So let’s go back to the point where you were seeing this in the Middle East. How long did it take you to jump ship and start your own thing? WK: I also read a book, Atlas Shrugged, at the same time I was making those trips.
SM: What was unique about what you were doing? How did it change the environment you were operating in? WK: This particular product was different because we put it in the inlet of an ethylene furnace which can be 1,800–2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That is a very tough environment to work in from a chemical standpoint.
Wayne F. Krouse is the chairman, chief executive officer, and founder of Hydro Green Energy. He founded the company in 2002 after a short but distinguished career with Nalco/Exxon Energy Chemicals. He was the Research & Development chairperson of the National Hydropower Association in 2007. SM: Wayne, where do you come from? WK: I am
SM: What have you learned through your two ventures, especially DimDim, which is an especially ambitious project? DD: Learning throughout AIM was very steep. I realized on my second or third day that I did not know anything about business at all.
SM: What is your strategy going forward? I understand your open source go-to-market strategy, which is a viral spread. What is your hypothesis on where DimDim Pro and Enterprise are going to gain traction? DD: All sales that have happened to date have been inbound inside sales.