Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups

Why Smart Climate Startups Lose Focus


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When expansion feels like productivity, climate CEOs often drift into adjacent markets, new products, and endless “opportunities” that quietly dilute execution.
This episode breaks down three strategic traps: timid visions, distraction disguised as growth, and rebuilding too late.

Here’s what we discussed:

  • Manifestos vs. marketing decks – Why some climate companies raise billions by selling an inevitable future, not just a product roadmap or pilot project
  • Opportunity overload – How “adjacencies” like new geographies, EV charging, or development capital can become strategic debt instead of growth
  • Focus as competitive advantage – Why the best operators often win by doing fewer things deeper while competitors chase every inbound request
  • When to rebuild from scratch – Signals that your startup is compounding organizational debt instead of improving actual output
  • The 80/95 rule – Why “80% good in 3 months” often beats “95% perfect in 12” in hardtech and climate markets where timing matters

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Climate CEOs: Scaling StartupsBy Dr. Chris Wedding — Climate Tech CEO Coach | CEO @ EFI

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