09. Solar: how to provide solar panels and climate literacy education to 75’000+ kids, with Robert Schrimpf (Solar for Schools) | Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Description

If you want hands-on advice

on greentech and renewable entrepreneurship,
on relentlessness and product development iterations,
on how to build a business and a product for a specific market like schools,
on how to grow your company with strategic partnerships,

this episode is for you!

Today I have the chance to talk to Robert Schrimpff.

Robert is a serial entrepreneur. He has been the founder, CEO, or director of six companies, mostly in the energy sector. He has a huge entrepreneurship and business exprience. In 2015 he took the bet to start a new company called Solar for Schools.

Solar for Schools provide solar energy to schools, as well as education on energy and sustainability to the kids of these schools. They already provide solar panels to over 150 schools in the UK and Germany. They have educated more than 77 000 kids on sustainability and how to cut carbon emissions with renewable energy.

Today you will learn:

How Robert almost gave up this project, and what was the trigger with his neighbor and his daughter that convinced him to double the efforts to make it work
How they adapted their strategy to win the trust of schools and their potential partners (councils, community energy groups,...) to be able to sell their solution to schools without being seen as a competitor
How Robert tried 3 different methods of lead generation...two methods who failed and the third one that was successful
How they set the financing, business, and legal models of the company to develop the projects in each country they operate, and to make sure it is attractive for all stakeholders (investors, schools, and Solar for Schools)
How they grew their business with different types of partnerships (solar project developers, utilities, community energy groups, councils,...)
Which strategy they used to develop a product that was really attractive for their audience, and how he positioned themselves in order to be attractive to the councils of schools, which initially see them as a competitor and didn’t really want to support them.
Why Robert chose to make a for-profit company instead of a non-profit
How to know when to give up or when to keep on iterating with your idea
Why his experience in the solar sector made him decide to launch in two countries even though they were at an early stage, and how that strategy saved him from bankruptcy.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

DONT MISS OUR BEST OF SEASON 1: 10 audio episodes shorter than 10 minutes with the best entrepreneurship advice of the first season! Visit GTImpact.com to download or listen to this best of series.

Welcome to Mission First, the podcast to learn from successful entrepreneurs who are building a sustainable future for our planet and its people! Growing a company that aims at having a sustainable impact is not easy! That’s why I created Mission First.

In each episode, I interview one entrepreneur with a company mission related to the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Our guests are entrepreneurs who have recently gone through these difficult first years successfully.

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

If you want hands-on advice

on greentech and renewable entrepreneurship,
on relentlessness and product development iterations,
on how to build a business and a product for a specific market like schools,
on how to grow your company with strategic partnerships,

this episode is for you!

Today I have the chance to talk to Robert Schrimpff.

Today you will learn:

How Robert almost gave up this project, and what was the trigger with his neighbor and his daughter that convinced him to double the efforts to make it work
How they adapted their strategy to win the trust of schools and their potential partners (councils, community energy groups,...) to be able to sell their solution to schools without being seen as a competitor
How Robert tried 3 different methods of lead generation...two methods who failed and the third one that was successful
How they set the financing, business, and legal models of the company to develop the projects in each country they operate, and to make sure it is attractive for all stakeholders (investors, schools, and Solar for Schools)
How they grew their business with different types of partnerships (solar project developers, utilities, community energy groups, councils,...)
Which strategy they used to develop a product that was really attractive for their audience, and how he positioned themselves in order to be attractive to the councils of schools, which initially see them as a competitor and didn’t really want to support them.
Why Robert chose to make a for-profit company instead of a non-profit
How to know when to give up or when to keep on iterating with your idea
Why his experience in the solar sector made him decide to launch in two countries even though they were at an early stage, and how that strategy saved him from bankruptcy.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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Description

If you want hands-on advice

on greentech and renewable entrepreneurship,
on relentlessness and product development iterations,
on how to build a business and a product for a specific market like schools,
on how to grow your company with strategic partnerships,

this episode is for you!

Today I have the chance to talk to Robert Schrimpff.

Today you will learn:

How Robert almost gave up this project, and what was the trigger with his neighbor and his daughter that convinced him to double the efforts to make it work
How they adapted their strategy to win the trust of schools and their potential partners (councils, community energy groups,...) to be able to sell their solution to schools without being seen as a competitor
How Robert tried 3 different methods of lead generation...two methods who failed and the third one that was successful
How they set the financing, business, and legal models of the company to develop the projects in each country they operate, and to make sure it is attractive for all stakeholders (investors, schools, and Solar for Schools)
How they grew their business with different types of partnerships (solar project developers, utilities, community energy groups, councils,...)
Which strategy they used to develop a product that was really attractive for their audience, and how he positioned themselves in order to be attractive to the councils of schools, which initially see them as a competitor and didn’t really want to support them.
Why Robert chose to make a for-profit company instead of a non-profit
How to know when to give up or when to keep on iterating with your idea
Why his experience in the solar sector made him decide to launch in two countries even though they were at an early stage, and how that strategy saved him from bankruptcy.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

If you want hands-on advice

on greentech and renewable entrepreneurship,
on relentlessness and product development iterations,
on how to build a business and a product for a specific market like schools,
on how to grow your company with strategic partnerships,

this episode is for you!

Today I have the chance to talk to Robert Schrimpff.

Today you will learn:

How Robert almost gave up this project, and what was the trigger with his neighbor and his daughter that convinced him to double the efforts to make it work
How they adapted their strategy to win the trust of schools and their potential partners (councils, community energy groups,...) to be able to sell their solution to schools without being seen as a competitor
How Robert tried 3 different methods of lead generation...two methods who failed and the third one that was successful
How they set the financing, business, and legal models of the company to develop the projects in each country they operate, and to make sure it is attractive for all stakeholders (investors, schools, and Solar for Schools)
How they grew their business with different types of partnerships (solar project developers, utilities, community energy groups, councils,...)
Which strategy they used to develop a product that was really attractive for their audience, and how he positioned themselves in order to be attractive to the councils of schools, which initially see them as a competitor and didn’t really want to support them.
Why Robert chose to make a for-profit company instead of a non-profit
How to know when to give up or when to keep on iterating with your idea
Why his experience in the solar sector made him decide to launch in two countries even though they were at an early stage, and how that strategy saved him from bankruptcy.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Mission First - Entrepreneurs for future

Together we discuss their challenges and what they have learned on the way. We go into detail, with a specific focus on company culture, leadership, financing, growth and business strategy.

That way you learn hands-on tips on how to build a better future and a successful company too.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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