July 11th, 2026 | By Bivo Co-Founder Carina Hamel
Last week, I had the honor of meeting with JYC from Salomon in Annecy. He has spent more than 20 years with the brand, and sitting across from someone who has helped build an iconic company over decades was both humbling and inspiring.
Over lunch, he said something that has stayed with me:
"Dream big. Start small."
Last week, I had the honor of meeting with JYC from Salomon in Annecy. He has spent more than 20 years with the brand, and sitting across from someone who has helped build an iconic company over decades was both humbling and inspiring.
Over lunch, he said something that has stayed with me:
"Dream big. Start small."
It sounds simple, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
As a founder, I don't think the challenge is a lack of ideas. If anything, it's the opposite. Every week there seems to be another opportunity, another partnership, another product, another market. The world feels incredibly big, and it's easy to convince yourself that saying "no" means you're thinking too small.
I've written before about ruthless prioritization because I've learned that focus isn't just a strategy, it's a discipline. The hardest part isn't finding opportunities; it's having the confidence to let good ones pass by because they aren't the right ones right now.
That's exactly what we did when we started Bivo.
From day one, we believed our bottles belonged in far more places than cycling. They make just as much sense for runners, soccer players, hockey players, skiers, gym-goers, and just about anyone who wants a better way to hydrate.
It sounds simple, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
As a founder, I don't think the challenge is a lack of ideas. If anything, it's the opposite. Every week there seems to be another opportunity, another partnership, another product, another market. The world feels incredibly big, and it's easy to convince yourself that saying "no" means you're thinking too small.
I've written before about ruthless prioritization because I've learned that focus isn't just a strategy, it's a discipline. The hardest part isn't finding opportunities; it's having the confidence to let good ones pass by because they aren't the right ones right now.
That's exactly what we did when we started Bivo.
From day one, we believed our bottles belonged in far more places than cycling. They make just as much sense for runners, soccer players, hockey players, skiers, gym-goers, and just about anyone who wants a better way to hydrate.
But we chose cyclists.
Not because the opportunity was small, but because we believed that if we could earn the trust of one passionate community first, everything else would become possible.
Now we're finding ourselves at the same crossroads again as we grow in Europe.
People often ask how our European expansion is going, but the truth is, Europe isn't one market. It's dozens of countries, languages, cultures, retailers, and communities. Just because we've launched in Europe doesn't mean we should try to conquer the entire continent at once.
Instead, I’m asking myself: What if we focused on one city? One region? One community?
If we can truly earn the trust of a few places before trying to reach every place, I believe we'll build something much stronger in the long run.
I think that's why his words have resonated so deeply.
But we chose cyclists.
Not because the opportunity was small, but because we believed that if we could earn the trust of one passionate community first, everything else would become possible.
Now we're finding ourselves at the same crossroads again as we grow in Europe.
People often ask how our European expansion is going, but the truth is, Europe isn't one market. It's dozens of countries, languages, cultures, retailers, and communities. Just because we've launched in Europe doesn't mean we should try to conquer the entire continent at once.
Instead, I’m asking myself: What if we focused on one city? One region? One community?
If we can truly earn the trust of a few places before trying to reach every place, I believe we'll build something much stronger in the long run.
I think that's why his words have resonated so deeply.
For a long time, I associated dreaming big with doing more, moving faster, and chasing every opportunity. But maybe dreaming big isn't about expanding as quickly as possible. Maybe it's having enough conviction in the dream that you're willing to build it one city, one customer, and one community at a time.
Dream big. Start small.
Somehow, hearing those words made me feel like those two ideas don't compete with one another, they depend on each other.
For a long time, I associated dreaming big with doing more, moving faster, and chasing every opportunity. But maybe dreaming big isn't about expanding as quickly as possible. Maybe it's having enough conviction in the dream that you're willing to build it one city, one customer, and one community at a time.
Dream big. Start small.
Somehow, hearing those words made me feel like those two ideas don't compete with one another, they depend on each other.
"We think the pros might be into something with this whole Tour de France thing 🤩🚴♀️" - Carina
"We think the pros might be into something with this whole Tour de France thing 🤩🚴♀️" - Carina
Follow along Carina's Europe trip on our Instagram: @Drinkbivo
Follow along Carina's Europe trip on our Instagram: @Drinkbivo
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