Why do most climate startups fail to scale? Tom Chi, a founding member of Google X and inventor with 77 patents, argues that relying on "Green Premiums" or even price parity is a death sentence. In this interview, he reveals the "CapEx Inertia" trap that prevents factories from adopting new tech and why your solution needs to be 3x cheaper than the incumbent to survive. Tom shares the heartbreaking story of watching a coral reef die in just two months—a tragedy that pushed him from inventing to investing. He breaks down his unique physics-based diligence process (analyzing Matter, Energy, Time, and Space) and explains why he focuses on the four industries responsible for 90% of water pollution. Finally, he shares his life philosophy on why you should focus on "verbs" (your metabolism of learning) rather than "nouns" (status and titles).Check out the company: https://www.atoneventures.com

👀 CONNECT WITH SEAN

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrot

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrot

Inquiries: [email protected]

🕒 CHAPTERS

00:00 - From Google X Inventor to Climate Investor

02:55 - The Coral Reef Tragedy: Extinction by 2055?

08:38 - Why Hardware is Easier to Pick than SaaS

11:53 - The 4 Industries Causing 90% of Damage

13:28 - The "Triad" Investment Thesis

14:40 - Why "Green Premiums" & Price Parity Fail

15:40 - The "CapEx Inertia" Problem

18:00 - How to Due Diligence with Physics (Matter, Energy, Time, Space)

22:50 - Why Software Metrics Don't Work for Deep Tech

25:35 - Investment Readiness Levels (Avoiding Science Risk)

27:50 - The Cold Fusion & Superconductor Hype Cycles

30:10 - The #1 Life Lesson: Nouns vs. Verbs

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▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai

nes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-live-to-build/id1531994765

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