The Anti-Growth Story: How Earthshot Labs Succeeded by Slowing Down

When every startup playbook preaches speed and scale, what happens when you choose to slow down? In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Troy Carter shared how Earthshot Labs found success by challenging Silicon Valley’s growth-at-all-costs mentality.

The Growth Paradox

“There is a very beautiful side to entrepreneurship and growth and scale, where like, hey, what is the solution to the climate crisis? It is speed and scale, right?” Troy poses this question before offering a contrarian view: “But what if it was slowing down and becoming more sensitive to what we want to create?”

Learning from Personal Experience

This perspective wasn’t theoretical—it emerged from Troy’s entrepreneurial journey. His first company, a cider brand, taught him about the limitations of rapid growth. He became “disenchanted by alcohol as a substance that people used rather than as a ceremonial beverage” and sold the business, learning that speed without purpose leads to disconnection.

Building with Intention

With Earthshot, Troy took a different approach: “Earthshot is one of the first companies that I’ve built that integrates what I consider sort of like a personal journey or a healing journey or a spiritual journey along with a business or a team.”

This integration led to a provocative question: “Are there any large tech businesses that you think represent the best wisdom of humanity?” His answer: “I can’t really think of any, and that’s a bit sad, honestly. Why would it be the case that the largest institutions on the planet are not as integrity as we consider ourselves or in our friendships or relationships?”

The Power of Deep Connection

Troy argues that genuine impact comes from emotional connection rather than rapid scaling. He shares a personal story: “I remember crying into my mask, free diving” while watching coral reefs die in Hawaii. “That’s a mobilizing moment… because it’s something sort of visceral and right in front of you, intimate and sort of imminent that you really want to save.”

This insight shapes how Earthshot approaches growth. Instead of racing to scale, they focus on building deep relationships with communities. Working with “the Shipibo communities, to do conservation, where they approached us because they wanted a partner that was really integrity with their values.”

Results of Slowing Down

Counter-intuitively, this slower approach has enabled Earthshot to tackle larger projects. Their Panama initiative represents “about a $26 million implementation cost over six years,” while maintaining relationships with “one to two dozen” similar projects.

Breaking from Convention

Troy challenges the common narrative that climate solutions require militaristic speed: “We are going to mobilize a militaristic offensive against climate change, which it might not work because people get anxious and bored with it. When you talk about climate or carbon policy. People get scared and they get bored.”

Instead, he advocates focusing on “something that they love, some intrinsic reason for addressing climate.”

For founders questioning the “move fast and break things” mentality, Earthshot’s journey offers an alternative path. Sometimes, slowing down enables you to solve deeper problems, build stronger relationships, and ultimately create more lasting impact.

Their approach shows that growth isn’t just about speed—it’s about building organizations that embody the change we seek to create in the world. As Troy puts it, “I think it’s part of our responsibility to form organizations that we think are more loving and wiser than institutions in the past.”