From High Tech to Green Tech

By Ronald M. Lloyd

A number of people have asked me to document my transition from a high tech career to a green tech career, as many are considering or are actively pursuing the same change. I could make it sound mystifying and complex, but it's really not. In fact, the observations below could apply to transitions between any two major industries.

A brief background: I spent 20+ years in high tech, the formative years as a manufacturing engineer and manager at Hewlett Packard, and the bulk of my career in a very exciting run at Sun Microsystems. In 2001 – and in no way related to the economy – I wanted to take a break, which turned out to be fortuitous for several personal reasons as well.

Throughout my time at HP and Sun, I kept having a gnawing feeling that high tech manufacturing consumes great quantities of resources from the planet, without putting enough back. Talk of global warming, global population, air pollution and the negative effects on humans and various wildlife species had a big impact on me. So, I began to search for a way to help – to “get in the game”. Circumstances (and Sun stock) made it possible for me to take a couple of years to search out my own opinions on these topics, and I was fortunate to be accepted as a 43-yr-old Masters candidate at Stanford's Civil and Environmental Engineering department, receiving a MS in Environmental Engineering and Science in 2003. It was an exceptional experience, and I learned a great deal. After that, I joined the Board of an excellent nonprofit named Grid Alternatives, joined the Tesla Motors team for two years as head of the White Star program (now Model S), then one and a half years at Fat Spaniel as VP Operations and COO. All of these great experiences have helped me frame some perspective on how to make a major career change.

So, how did this transition work, what were the keys to making the leap? Below, are my observations, loosely in priority order:

1. You need to believe. The vast majority of the people I've run into in greentech believe in the mission of the company – that was nowhere more true than at Tesla Motors. The audacity of this startup company building exciting and electric cars gave tremendous courage and energy to the troops. If you aren't a real believer, you may not get hired, and probably won't last. But honestly, isn't that true of most startups – don't we all have to “drink the Kool-Aid”?
    
   
2. You DO need a network. Both at Tesla and Fat Spaniel, my personal network knew of my passion for the space, and connected me to the founders. However, the network I'm really referring to is to others in that industry. That network helps to identify who the key suppliers are, where the business is headed, where the talent is. In Tesla's case, I hired a great lieutenant in Detroit, because – frankly – I didn't know much about building cars. Without John Thomas' contacts and connections in the automotive industry, it would have gone nowhere. (John is now CEO of his own company – Alte LLC). You should begin building your network before you attempt to make this transition, so you can be more informed about what's happening in that space. It will help you identify where the action is, and demonstrate that you have some relevant knowledge in interviews.
     
3. Grow your knowledge base. Go to seminars, mixers, and tradeshows. Not only do you need a network, but you need to work it and put some serious time into finding out what's current and relevant in these industries. The technologies change rapidly, and employers are always looking for employees who care enough to stay connected to what's happening out there.
     
4. Learn the policy landscape. Most of us take the regulatory and public policy landscape for granted in high tech – it's well-established and not very volatile in comparison to greentech. However, just the opposite is true for green companies. What will the state and federal feed-in tariffs be for alternative energy? Will there be carbon credits for EV's, and how will they be valued? What grant monies are available for alternative energy development? What development dollars are available for factory siting, and from which jurisdictions? All of these issues have a great impact on business strategy and the mindset of investors. Understanding these topics can be vital to the company's success. As with the network – the time to start is not after you've found a job, but all the way along.
     
5. You don't need a green education – but it doesn't hurt. Martin Eberhard liked that I had shown conviction by getting an Environmental MS, and that was some small factor in him hiring me at Tesla. However, most of the greentech firms I've gotten to know need functional expertise that's not very different from industries with related processes (mechanical, chemical, software, service, finance). At the end of the day, the functional skill set applied to the company's mission are what really makes it work.
     
6. There is, in general, less money. Get over it – the heady days of tech in the 80's and 90's are not with us anymore, and green companies don't usually see the market growth and valuations that those tech companies saw (or wanted to see). Salaries are still typically consistent with competitive wages for similar roles in the region, but green companies are often fighting for revenue by reducing costs for their customers – there's a limit to that, which holds down the large valuations. There are exceptions – Smart Grid, the PV industry, and some battery companies will see some serious wealth, in my opinion. Nevertheless, you shouldn't make this transition because you're looking to leap the next two rungs on the wealth ladder. If you're fortunate, you'll get to work on worthwhile products and projects, with talented people, and make a good living do it.
     
7. Get involved. As I stated above, I'm on the board of a non-profit named Grid Alternatives. Along with the joy of seeing their growth and contributions to society, and good karma from “doing the right thing”, that experience added to my knowledge of the PV industry, and to my network of folks who are also connected to that industry. There are no end of non-profit opportunities from which to contribute to society and expand your network of knowledgeable individuals.
     
   In summary, this list of actions isn't very different than it would be for an outsider to get into any other industry – you just need to get to know the players and learn the space. While most of the people in greentech firms believe in their causes, they're not all experts in that technology. All of these companies require competent skills in the basic functions: Engineering, Operations, Sales, Marketing and Finance. Having great experiences and references within those functions, and a passion for where the greentech markets and industries are headed will get you a long way!