Ever wanted to build your own software but don’t know the first thing about coding?
You’re in good company. That’s exactly how the founders of UtilityClick started.

In this episode of The Energy Waffle Podcast, the team take a slightly different approach by sticking to one big topic: software development.

Tune in to hear the unfiltered story of how we built the industry’s most-used energy-specific CRM - and why, at first, PRO CRM was an utter embarrassment.

Along the way, we chat about:

• Whether Keaton really did kill a polar bear 🐻‍❄️
• Just how embarrassing our first release was
• How PRO CRM came to life (and why it didn’t exactly work)
• What we learned from that painful process — and how it helped shape BILL VAL

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

It's only taken fourteen episodes, but the team (giddy with excitement having just launched LITE CRM) actually manage to chat about the inner workings of UtilityClick!

What's more, they've persuaded our very own Clare Mason (the brainchild behind LITE CRM) to come on and talk about its inception. (Stay tuned to future podcasts where Charlotte Bradley (the product orchestrator of LITE CRM) will give her take on the work that was done to bring it to life).

Other things discussed this time include:
Spotting a gap in the market to offer aggregator services.
How do you go about launching a new product?
How to manage agile product development
Fan shout out
The 1989 Electricity Act
Last One Laughing
Jerey Irons

If you're a broker who needs a stripped-down CRM with supplier relationships included, this episode might just tickle you.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

The boys are back and in this episode, they have an actual bonified interesting subject to discuss (It's almost as if Jon's addition has brought an air of professionalism to the team!).

The subject of this episode: 'Is it ok for businesses to show true personality?'

Gone are the days of the technical jargon social posts where a business had one monotone voice. In are the true confessions of a CEO, open discussions around mental health or simply showing the flaws that exist behind the curtain.

This time they talk about putting yourself out there on social media, moments when businesses have gone the extra mile, and how the personal touch of an individual selling a product can stay with you, long after the product has gone.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

It's been a loooooong 18 months since the last waffle but the chaps are back talking as much sense as they did back in 2022. Thankfully they're joined by Jon Doorey, the new voice of reason at UtilityClick (aka Technical Director).

For nearly two decades, Jon has been a key figure in assisting public sector organisations with managing and procuring energy through software solutions, while also accelerating their transition to net zero.

Together, the three (incorrectly) chat KVA excess, the benefits of not drinking, what it's like to be a non-coding technical director, and give some much-needed love to rural solar farms.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

This week the chat is 50% about energy and 50% about queues. Who doesn't like a good queue? Could this be a whole new direction for the pod? Andy seems to think so, whilst Keaton theorises "Does Brad Pitt actually queue?".

On the energy front, the guys talk energy portals and why the technology is finally available to connect the dots from supplier, to broker, through to the consumer. More so, the suppliers finally seem ready to embrace this technological change.

Note that we were more waffly than usual for this episode so if you want to avoid all non-energy-related chatter, then skip to around the 27-minute mark.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

The subject of Carbon Reporting is very much in Andy and Keaton's thoughts. When not appearing on an award-winning podcast*, the guys have been busy working away on an all-singing and dancing Carbon Reporting module for UtilityClick.

So in Episode 10 of the Energy Waffle Podcast, we play a little devil's advocate and ask: Can we trust the process of carbon reporting or indeed believe it when a company announces that they're now "Net Zero"?

As well as energy-related waffle, there's also holiday chit-chat and some fun times remembering cassette players.

*The Energy Waffle Podcast hasn't actually won an "Official" award as yet but our mums do think it's "almost award worthy".

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

Incredibly Andy and Keaton are back for the first time in 2022. So much has happened since they were last in front of the mics, especially in the energy industry.

Andy's delighted to find that his big brain of energy knowledge has finally meant he's now useful in pub conversations. Whilst much of the chat is of course around the recent energy price hikes, there's also irreverent waffle about being a bad loser, rules of monopoly and being happy at others' misery.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

Andy and Keaton are back behind the mic speaking with yet another industry expert. This time they sit down (remotely) with Ashley Webber, a newfound expert in taking businesses to Net-Zero.

Ashley has many years of experience within the broker side of the industry but at the beginning of 2021 opted to change tact and now runs his own energy consulting business, Balanced Energy.

In this episode, we drill down to what Net-Zero and Carbon Neutral actually means for your business and discuss why it's financially inevitable that we'll all have to make the transition soon.

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

We welcome back Rod Westwood to the pod and ask him about his thoughts and tips on how you transition from knowing relatively nothing about the energy industry to becoming one of the leading figures.

We also chat Snapchat photo filters and try to play a little game of Energy Jeopardy (Jenerdy?).

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.

Have you ever had an idea for a piece of software that you felt the energy industry was crying out for, but you've not known how to get it to market?

Then this episode of The Energy Waffle Podcast is for you.

There aren't many times in life where you can sit down for an hour and get advice from a bona fide expert who's been there and done it.

In this episode, we're delighted to talk to Rod Westwood, the technical brains behind the UtilityClick CRM. What makes his story even more compelling is that pre-UtilityClick, he'd not written a line of code in his life. 5 Years later he heads up a large team of developers and regularly makes critical changes to the platform.

Many of us have that burning idea tucked away behind our eyes but how can we take that leap and get it built? Listen on...

Oh and there's also a good amount of waffle here too (fast-forward to the 17-minute mark to miss the pre-interview fun).

----------

We’re incredibly proud of our employees for investing the time and energy (no pun intended) into podcasts. However, the views found within these podcasts may not be reflective of company-wide beliefs and they are presented purely for entertainment purposes.