Mountain Life & Product Design: North Drinkware Co-Founder, Matt Capozzi

Mountain Life & Product Design: North Drinkware Co-Founder, Matt Capozzi

Author: BLISTER March 26, 2025 Duration: 58:02

Matt Capozzi has always loved being in the mountains, but he’s also enjoyed an incredible career working in product design for brands like Burton, Nike, Nixon, and Smith. In 2015, Matt had a wild idea to help people ‘bring the mountains home,’ which led to the creation of North Drinkware, which produces beautiful, artisanal products — like handblown glassware — made in Oregon.

Today I talk with Matt about how a life spent designing everything from snowboarding bindings, to wearable fitness tech, to watches led him to the improbable (and rather harrowing) launch of North Drinkware. We also get into the art of glass blowing, the science of crafting your favorite mountains into the bottoms of drinkware, why authenticity is everything, and what the future of North looks like.

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North Drinkware

TOPICS & TIMES:

Blister Craft Collective (1:20)

What is North Drinkware? (3:12)

Matt’s Love of Snow (7:08)

Designing for Burton, Nike, Nixon, & More (11:44)

The Initial Idea of North (16:05)

The Highs & Lows of Launching (21:55)

How Their Glasses are Produced Today (38:02)

Other Products (41:42)

Selecting the Next Mountain? (45:40)

How North Thinks about Growth (49:19)

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There's a particular kind of conversation that happens when someone has dedicated their life to making something tangible, driven by obsession over details most of us overlook. CRAFTED, from BLISTER, is built on those conversations. Each episode moves beyond a simple product review to explore the entire ecosystem of creation, whether the subject is a meticulously roasted coffee, a complex whiskey, a precision timepiece, or a bold new wine. You'll hear directly from the individuals who define these fields-brewers, distillers, founders, and artisans who started their ventures not because it was easy, but because they couldn't imagine doing anything else. This podcast digs into the raw materials, the failed experiments, the business risks taken on a principle, and the quiet triumphs that happen long before a product reaches a shelf. It’s about the philosophy embedded in the process as much as the technical skill. Tuning in feels less like listening to an interview and more like pulling up a stool in a workshop or a tasting room, offering an intimate look at the patience, setbacks, and unwavering standards that transform a simple idea into a crafted object. The stories are specific, but the themes of creativity, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit are universal, connecting anyone who appreciates the depth behind a well-made thing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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