Climate Emergency is a real deal. I am sure the Dubai floods should be an awakening for first-world climate deniers and NO, it was not just cloud seeding. Please read the latest reports.
We need to act now instead of later and put out exceptionable solutions out there, everywhere all at once. Look more locally — the Karnataka drought is another REAL example of what is happening right now.
So What do we do?
We need to be informed of what’s happening in the Climate Action space.
So, I am giving a shot at explaining what I am hearing from founders of late:
We don’t have a dearth for entrepreneurship spirit. Ideas are available everywhere. But entrepreneurs need to think of venture ideas through a climate/sustainability lens henceforth instead of blindly chasing idea s for quick profits and exits.
We need founders and professionals to think of their roles more mindfully and conscientiously.
Overarching climate solutions verified by Project Drawdown are available! We have local, ready-to-market solutions for execution. However they are not deep-tech enough for investments and grants. Other deep-tech, break through solutions are too niche for funders.
Starting up shouldn’t be this hard for people who want to do positive community impact.
Some have entrepreneurial spirit but are unable to find execution-able ideas aligned to the climate or sustainability space. Some founders have fantastic solutions but unable to differentiate or defend their business model based on how fast the climate industry is evolving . They need to revamp their business model and solution portfolio at the moment (like decarbonisation, water positivity, waste to energy, reducing dependency on non-RE raw materials and precious minerals). Some have great ideas but lack business sense or acumen or discipline. They also lack a set pathway or tactics on how to navigate the startup journey for making the solution a success.
An entrepreneur is successful ONLY if he has the right ecosystem for it.
We as founders are also extremely overwhelmed because we are unable to find the right team or understand how much money is necessary for venture experimentation and operations and what resources are accessible to us.
We don’t need 0-1 stories of random startups though they are just aspirations. We need very directed resources for startups to firefight everyday and navigate their startup journey. These sprints rarely are useful. They help us in understanding the theory but we can’t come up with a defendible business model or MVP in a matter of 12 weeks. Business plan is a continuous process of iteration if we are ding it ourselves.
Planning, strategising and iteration takes times. Some startups are stuck in the iteration phase for so long, it takes them 5 years to get to the market.
However every entrepreneur with a good idea deserves a chance. A shot at building their venture.
With the right resources (targeted industry and sub-niche based), the right guidance from experts (paid and unpaid consulting) they will be able to achieve milestones quickly.
We need more mentors and advisors on board who have worked at the grassroots and bring deep industry expertise. We want legacy founders who have made to various levels of funding to pave the way for upcoming startups and build an ecosytem for them.
We want responsible investors. We want better Governtment support. We want more financial security to experiment on our ideas and bring out our solutions.
If we don’t foster this entrepreneurial spirit in India, we will never be self sustainable and be trapped in eternal recession LOL.
We want more access to international funding and markets and less discrimination and abuse. We need more self-suffienciency and less of red tape.