Beyond Pilot Purgatory: Copper Labs’ Framework for Scaling in Conservative Industries

Getting a pilot program with a large enterprise is relatively easy. Getting beyond that pilot? That’s where most startups fail. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Copper Labs CEO Dan Forman shared their systematic approach to breaking free from what he calls “pilot hell” in one of the most conservative industries – utilities.

Understanding the Pilot Trap

“Utilities are good and bad. They’re bad for what people would call getting stuck in pilot hell. It’s easy to go get pilot deployments. Getting to scale is the trick,” Dan explained. The challenge goes deeper than just conservative decision-making – it’s built into the industry’s structure: “Pilots you can do with nondiscretionary budget, if you want to get to scale, you have to go through the utilities rate case, be in the conversation with them and regulators.”

Building the Escape Framework

Copper Labs developed a systematic approach to scaling beyond pilots, starting with what Dan calls “proof points and success.” Their framework revealed that escaping pilot purgatory requires more than just successful implementation – it demands a complete rethinking of how to engage with conservative industries.

1. Creating Strategic Proof Points

The first breakthrough came when working with National Grid. Rather than just implementing their solution, they focused on solving a specific, urgent problem. “We solved a problem for them on gas demand management that no one else gets at. We get them 32nd interval gas data instead of waiting for it every 30 days,” Dan shared.

This targeted approach led to “a first-of-its-kind case study that we published with National Grid last year.” The key wasn’t just the technical success, but how they positioned it within the industry’s broader challenges.

2. Leveraging Industry Dynamics

Unlike most markets, utilities don’t compete with each other, creating unique opportunities for reference selling. “If Xcel Energy, or in our case National Grid, can deploy something that demonstrates them being innovative, solving some problem in a new or efficient way, they really like to raise their hand on that and share it with the market,” Dan explained.

This insight transformed their approach to scaling. Success with one utility became a powerful tool for convincing others, as “National Grid will do customer reference calls for us.”

3. Building Regulatory Alignment

Rather than viewing regulatory requirements as obstacles, Copper Labs turned them into scaling opportunities. “When regulators are mandating that northeast utilities, for example, engage in behavioral gas demand management during winter peaks, we’re really one of the only people that can help them to do that,” Dan noted.

This alignment led to a crucial shift: “We’re now starting to be included in regulatory filings for much more scaled deployments.”

4. Establishing Market Presence

Copper Labs recognized that in conservative industries, longevity and visibility matter more than rapid growth. “A lot of what needs to take place in this market in particular is just staying around long enough because these utilities are risk averse. They don’t want to go and pick the flashy new startup that’s come around. They want to work with somebody that’s been around for a while,” Dan revealed.

Their solution? Become ubiquitous. This year alone, they’ve attended 26 conferences, leading to a powerful market perception: “The anecdote coming back has been Copper’s everywhere. We’re seeing you everywhere.”

5. Shifting Industry Narratives

Perhaps most importantly, they focused on changing how the industry thinks about its challenges. “We need to shift the narrative in the market,” Dan explained. “We’ve all been marching in the same direction for a long time. It hasn’t worked. We’ve got new problems to solve.”

This narrative shift helped utilities “ask new and better questions” about grid modernization, moving conversations beyond pilot programs to systematic change.

The Framework in Action

For founders trying to scale beyond pilots in conservative industries, Copper Labs’ experience reveals several key principles:

1. Focus on solving specific, urgent problems rather than general capabilities
2. Transform successful implementations into strategic proof points
3. Understand and leverage industry-specific dynamics
4. Align with regulatory requirements and industry mandates
5. Build market presence through consistent engagement

As Dan summarized their vision: “I want Copper to be the company that helped prepare the utilities and this broader industry for that coming change.” It’s a reminder that scaling in conservative industries isn’t just about technical success – it’s about becoming a trusted agent of industry transformation.