Build Something People Want
Even If They Don’t Know It Yet
Read time: 4 min
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Ever think about how the most game-changing products weren’t things people were actively searching for?
Post-it notes. Smartphones. Slack.
No one was out there saying, "Hey, I need a sticky note that barely sticks but sticks just enough." But once these things showed up, we couldn’t live without them.
That’s the magic of building something people want — even if they don’t know they want it yet.
Now, let’s bring this into climate tech.
The Climate Tech Challenge
Most people aren’t waking up thinking about green mining or decarbonizing cement.
Similarly, most people never considered fixing email. Yet Slack revolutionized workplace communication.
Yet, much like Slack in its early days, the real challenge is that the world doesn’t always know it needs what you’re building.
What if, instead of mining rare earth minerals for EV batteries, we reimagined the entire concept using lab-generated nanomaterials?
Or instead of building concrete jungles, we replace them with wood (like Strong By Form)?
People want cleaner, smarter solutions, but they don’t always see how radical those solutions need to be.
Your job is to build it anyway and show them why it matters.
Don’t Just Sell the Product — Sell the Transformation
When Slack first launched, they weren’t selling a “group chat tool.” They were selling better teamwork: fewer emails, faster decisions, and more transparency.
Climate tech solutions need to do the same thing. You’re not just selling hardware.
You’re selling a new future for industries and cities.
Take photocatalysis as an example (like New Iridium).
It’s not just a tech fix. It’s a way to fundamentally change how we power the petrochemical industry without fossil fuels.
Instead, you catalyze chemical reactions using light 💡
If we can show people what’s possible, the demand for these innovations will skyrocket.
You’re not selling a better tool — you’re selling organizational transformation and industry-wide change.
Product-Market Fit? Create the Market
Marc Andreessen famously said that "product-market fit is the only thing that matters." In climate tech, though, finding product-market fit often means creating the market from scratch.
We’re not just tweaking existing markets — we’re building entirely new ones.
The companies working on lab-generated materials, carbon capture, and advanced energy systems aren’t just optimizing what’s already there. They’re redefining the problem and offering radical solutions.
Good news.
Rule #1 of marketing: if you help define the market, you’ll own it.
Build with Precision, Sell with Passion
In climate tech, when people realize they need your solution, they’ll demand perfection.
That means you can’t just have great tech — your execution needs to be flawless.
People won’t tolerate friction when the stakes are this high. Your product needs to be seamless, easy to adopt, and capable of making their work cleaner, faster, and more sustainable.
And always remember, you’re not just selling tech. You’re selling a better future — for the environment, for businesses, for society.
Sell. Sell. Sell.
If you’re building in climate tech, ask yourself:
Are you solving a problem in a way that redefines the solution?
Are you selling transformation, not just features?
Are you ready to create your own market and push the boundaries?
Because the future of climate tech isn’t just about fixing what’s broken.
It’s about creating something better — something people can’t live without, even if they don’t know it yet.
Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
👉 Curious about lab-generated nanomaterials? 👩🏻🔬 That’s our next deal. Massive potential, super differentiated, ginormous market ready to explode.
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