014: IoT and the Energy Storage Revolution

Welcome to episode #14 of IoT Product Leadership, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with product leaders on what it takes to build great IoT products. I’m your host, Daniel Elizalde.   I have a very special episode for you today. My guest is Larsh Johnson, CTO at Stem. I had the opportunity to work with Larsh at Stem. I learned a lot from him, and I was always very impressed by his leadership skills and knowledge of all the areas involved in creating complex technology products. That’s why I’m so excited to have him on the show and have him share his experience with you.   In this episode, we talk about energy storage and the key role IoT plays in this new era of distributed energy. We also talk about the challenges of building end-to-end IoT solutions both from a Product perspective as well as the internal organizational challenges that arise when building such products. This is a very special episode that no Product leader should miss.   To learn more about Larsh, Stem, and to access the resources mentioned in this episode, visit iotproductleadership.com.   There you’ll find the show notes for all episodes, including this one.   Plus if you are looking to take your IoT skills to the next level, in that page you’ll also find links to my online IoT courses, including my popular IoT Product Manager Certificate Program. The only IoT strategy program designed specifically for Product Managers. Once again, the URL is iotproductleadership.com   About Larsh Johnson: As Chief Technology Officer, Larsh Johnson is leading hardware and software engineering to meet the needs of Stem’s C&I;, utility, and energy market customers. Prior to joining Stem, Larsh was Chief Technology Officer at Siemens Digital Grid, where he led technology development teams on products spanning from consumer metering, demand response and analytics to control center software and grid automation. He joined Siemens via the acquisition of eMeter, a Bay Area software company of which he was a co-founder and responsible for innovation and development of meter data management, analytics, and advanced smart grid applications. Prior to eMeter, he co-founded CellNet Data Systems, a pioneer in wireless networks for smart metering and distribution automation and now a unit of Landis+Gyr a Toshiba company. Larsh was a founding member of the DOE’s Gridwise Architecture Council (GWAC) and remains a Member Emeritus. He earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.       About Stem: Stem creates innovative technology services that transform the way energy is distributed and consumed. AthenaTM by Stem is the first AI for energy storage and virtual power plants. It optimizes the timing of energy use and facilitates consumers’ participation in energy markets, yielding economic and societal benefits while decarbonizing the grid. The company’s mission is to build and operate the smartest and largest digitally-connected energy storage network for our customers. Headquartered in Millbrae, California, Stem is directly funded by a consortium of leading investors including Activate Capital, Angeleno Group, Constellation Technology Ventures, Iberdrola (Inversiones Financieras Perseo), GE Ventures, Mithril Capital Management, Mitsui & Co. LTD., Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, RWE Supply & Trading, Temasek, and Total Energy Ventures. Visit www.stem.com for more information. Topics we discuss in this episode: Larsh shares his background and about Stem. How Stem approaches IoT solutions. The advantages Industrial IoT brings to your Industry. The biggest challenges when building end-to-end IoT solutions. Some internal/organizational challenges to address when transitioning from stand-alone products to connected products. Key elements to make the relationship between PM and Engineering a success. What to look for when evaluating or hiring a PM. Advice for Product Leaders who are new to developing IoT solutions. To learn more about Larsh and Stem: Larsh on LinkedIn On Twitter @ larshjohnson Stem Stem: Careers Section Stem: Athena Video