Hello cleantechers!
I'm announcing today that Tigercomm’s launching: “Scaling Clean, the podcast for clean economy CEOs, investors & the people who advise them.”
Think of this show as a cross between NPR’s “How I Built This” and the New York Times’ “Corner Office” interview series. We’ll glean lessons and best practices from experienced cleantech leaders and curate them for the next generation of sector leaders – all in a compact, rich 30 minutes.
Some context…. If I don’t count the college car washing business I had with my buddy, Mike Duffy, Tigercomm’s the first business I’ve ever run. When I started this firm, it took me a few years to understand that working on the business was an actual skillset that took time and effort to develop.
The more we’ve executed for CEOs, the more I’ve admired their skill and fortitude. Theirs is a tough job. Stay on their “A game” 90% of the time. Handle the customer crisis that develops 15 seconds after the red eye flight lands. Terminate the well-liked, under-performing member of their leadership team. Be good at 10-15 things. Be great at another 3-5 things.
As a group, they’re impressive people. Not perfect, not always right, sometimes impatient. But on an individual level, I find them fascinating and inspiring. That’s why we’re focusing on the lessons they’ve learned about some of the basic components of building, leading and running companies:
- Evaluating members of inherited leadership teams
- Leading people
- Hiring and firing
- Properly defining the role of the CEO
- Advice for up-and-coming corporate leaders
- What makes leading clean economy companies different (or not)
- What’s more important: what they do or what they don’t do
Several episodes into taping, I’m already richer for these conversations. I hope that will be your experience as well.
Our series starts with Brad Mattson, described as a “Silicon Valley Legend” because he’s the only person to have taken two companies from his garage to Nasdaq. Brad’s also been a VC and has led two clean economy companies. Plus, he’s a thoroughly wonderful person and a fountain of wisdom. Thanks, Brad, for talking with me.
Please give this a listen, and send me all the feedback you care to RE formatting, quality of our questions, other topics we should cover, etc. I’m in learning mode, so bring that feedback!
You can find the first episode on Apple, Spotify, Radio Public, Amazon Music, iHeart, Google Podcasts, and Stitcher.
