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Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Astrid Atkinson, CEO and co-founder of Camus Energy, a grid management platform that has raised over $20 million. Camus Energy is at the forefront of redefining how the electric grid operates, transitioning to a more decentralized, customer-involved, and decarbonized future. Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Early Days at Google and Impact on Camus Energy: Astrid reflects on her time at Google, emphasizing the transformative power of individual contribution within large organizations. This experience shaped her approach to building Camus Energy, focusing on leveraging distributed systems expertise to address climate change through grid management.
- The Transition to Decarbonized Grids: Camus Energy is focused on transitioning from the centrally managed electric grids of today to a future grid that is more efficient, heavily customer-involved, and decarbonized. Astrid describes this as a shift towards a grid with millions to billions of participants, offering a more sustainable and flexible energy supply.
- Challenges in the Utility Space: Astrid shares insights into selling into the conservative and slow-moving utility industry, highlighting how Camus Energy differentiates itself by addressing the grid’s future needs rather than just improving existing structures.
- Creating a New Category: The concept of a “grid management platform” does not currently exist within the utility software space. Astrid discusses the importance of defining a new category to capture the full scope of Camus Energy’s solution, navigating the utility industry’s traditional segmentations.
- Lessons from Crossing the Chasm and Play Bigger: Astrid mentions how these influential books helped shape the strategy for establishing Camus Energy in a new category. The books provided frameworks for scaling transformational products and becoming a category-defining company.
- Structural Changes for Climate Action: Emphasizing the need for systemic solutions to climate change, Astrid argues against focusing solely on individual consumption habits. She advocates for leveraging one’s skills towards broader, impactful changes and the importance of structural and policy shifts in achieving decarbonization goals.
Actionable
Takeaways
Leverage Expertise in Niche Areas for Broader Impact:
Astrid’s transition from contributing to Google's early cloud computing efforts to addressing climate change through grid management underscores the power of applying specialized knowledge to solve global challenges. Founders should consider how their unique skills can address broader societal issues.
Focus on Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship:
The motivation behind Camus Energy was not just to create a successful business but to make a significant impact on climate change. Founders should align their company’s mission with critical global challenges, enhancing motivation and potentially attracting like-minded talent and investors.
Navigating Conservative Industries Requires a Clear Value Proposition:
Selling into traditionally slow-moving sectors like utilities demands a compelling argument for change. Highlighting the future needs your product addresses, beyond the current landscape, can distinguish your solution and accelerate adoption among early innovators.
Category Creation as a Strategic Advantage:
Astrid’s focus on establishing Camus Energy within a new category—grid management platform—demonstrates the strategic advantage of category creation. It not only differentiates your company but also allows you to set the rules in an emerging market. Founders should consider how redefining their problem space can open up new opportunities.
Systemic Change Over Individual Actions:
Emphasizing the need for structural solutions to climate change, Astrid points out the limitations of focusing solely on individual consumption habits. For founders in the sustainability space, this underscores the importance of targeting systemic changes through innovations that can be adopted at scale, influencing industry standards and practices.
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