Choose or the market chooses for you
I've never had any clue what I wanted to do when I grew up. My mom once thought I'd be a professional soccer player--a laughable thought for anyone who's seen me play sports. But I am competitive. And I do respond--like any other animal, I guess--to incentives. So after a motivational bribe from my parents in 5th grade (they said I'd get an xbox if I started caring about school), I turned that ship around REEEAL quick. Then the competitiveness kicked in. I was great at academics because there was a clear scoreboard (grades), a clear system to win (listen in class, do the homework, study for the tests...), and then the only real variable becomes how hard you work. And I was pretty bad at boundaries (still am!).
But this flawless system got tricky toward the end of college. Recruiting season came around, and you start getting forced to address some real questions:
If you want to get a "real" job: what kind of job? what industry? what size company? where?
If you want to bury your face in more books and go to grad school: what'll you study? what's the plan after?
In short, there's no clear scoreboard, and no clear system to decide. So I--like many--took a different strategy: see what the most competitive things are, and do that! Social proof is fool proof, right? So I downloaded a case interview book, learned some frameworks, and landed a gig at a prestigious consulting firm.
I'd say hard work paid off, but all these jobs are a crapshoot, really. The main reason I got the offer--I later found out--was that I went on a ballsy tirade about the Petrobras scandal and that consultants who facilitate malicious corporate actors should be prosecuted and jailed. Apparently the partner who interviewed me worked for a "Brazilian energy company". Guess she found it spicy.
So I thought I'd made it! Learning a lot, pay is solid, parents have bragging rights, brushing elbows with ivy league kids in a jet-setting lifestyle that has me presenting to public company officers in high stakes strategy meetings as they ignore my polyester suit, hand-me-down loafers, and light-but-noticeable acne scarring (dreeeamy, I know). But then, just like in college, the same thing happens again.
What function/industry are you going to specialize in? What's your "exit" plan? Time to decide what you want to do with your life! But once again there's no playbook.
Some people can easily tell what they're great at. The types of problems that amp them up in the morning and absorb their minds (pleasantly or unpleasantly) until they hit the pillow at night. Unfortunately, for many of us--especially the insecure grind masters who can "do anything we set our minds to"--we're no better at one thing than countless other options and so direction becomes arbitrary. We look around at our peers and see what they're doing; we optimize for things that keep doors open but still look like we're moving "up".
What does this have to do with sustainability?
Everything.
Without clear purpose, our paths get chosen by social norms and market incentives, rather than what's important for society. Our higher education system is pumping out "elite", debt-strapped graduates far faster than society is creating high-status, high-pay, high-impact jobs (it's called elite overproduction. And since white-shoe firms (banks, private equity, consulting...), tech companies, or corporates can secure the cushy salaries and prestige paths, it's no wonder our best graduates pursue them. Even in the unconventional, entrepreneurial paths, most founders are still working within an established set of business models and industries--ones that are higher margin and grow quickly. Y-Combinator's Summer '23 batch had 229 companies and 86% were SaaS, Fintech, or Consumer!
Among a lot of our most talented, status and social norms are driving their professional lives, while financially-distorted labor markets are paving the roads. And those roads don't take us where we want to go.
Society's hardest problems only get solved with capital and talent. And good talent is needed to advocate for the capital, so it's more like talent^2.
That's why YOU need to choose.
If you're in a "high option value" career (e.g. generalist business ninjas in Consulting, Finance), in a functional guild (e.g. arts and design, software engineering, marketing, sales, law), or at a crossroads (e.g. business school, life transition), and aren't 100% sure you're at a company who's mission is supporting core needs of society, you have an incredible opportunity to find a passion and purpose beyond the paycheck.
We need to be inspired and impassioned to find meaningful problems--not just interesting ones--and dedicate our lives to them. And the secret is that passion will change your relationship with work.
Letting passion guide us
When I left consulting, I did the same thing I did every time before. I looked at what everyone wanted to do--namely, exclusive Venture Capital or Private Equity roles--and figured that was the "right" path. So I hustled my way into a VC gig.
But this time, I decided something: I wanted to work in sustainability.
It's one of many interests I'd had since I was a kid. It wasn't a burning passion, but something I felt a) couldn't be criticized (a bit of a virtue signal, even), b) had enough domains within it that I wouldn't get bored (energy, mobility, industrial tech, food... the entire economy?), and c) was uncommon enough of a path that it felt like I'd have an edge.
A rational career move, not a moral crusade by any means. But once I jumped in, the world of climate BLEW. ME. AWAY.
For a curious guy, the vastness of interesting subjects was pure bliss. Solar, Wind, Storage, Electric Vehicles, Industrial Retrofits, Carbon Markets, Supply Chains, Federal/State/Local Policy Agendas, and on and on and on. The entire industrial backbone of society (and much of the service and digital economies too!) is looking at a necessary but still nascent sustainability revolution. This is a collection of problems that has something to captivate ANYONE. It was an amusement park of stimulating questions and puzzles.
For a people-loving guy, the community of passionate folks in this world was unlike anything I'd seen. I've gotten pitched by a 75 year old geologist-entrepreneurs with more fire than the feisty rebels I met in college. I met a Department of Energy employee tasked with reimagining the entire way that the National Lab system works. And even the investors, often expected to be the squarest of the bunch, had such wildly badass experiences: a former environmental head for the City of Boston, a former oil rig worker for Exxon, a former Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia, a former agricultural entrepreneur from Kenya, and so many more.
What makes this community special is that they GIVE A SHIT, and radiate an optimistic energy that results from it. And this isn't like a "I'm passionate about marketing software and On Cloud running shoes" type of passion. I'm talking bond-villain-level obsession with saving the planet through insane sci-fi contraptions or financing wizardry that would make Gandalf blush. I'm talking people who can make make municipal water meters or geology (literally, ROCKS!) sound more interesting than a true crime podcast.
And there's nothing like seeing true passion, and working side by side with it day in and day out, to make you realize that it's the secret to loving work. It's like waking up to a whole new relationship you could have with your 9-5 that you didn't know existed. One that's motivating, inspiring, and energizing. It's a "This is Water" feeling for the professional world.
Want a community of energetic and interesting people? Want to feel purpose in your day to day? There's no way to guarantee that you'll love work--over 70% of the experience we have at work is driven by our direct managers (vs WHAT the company does)--but I can damn near guarantee you that the folks who care enough to work on sustainability also care enough to be good managers.
Passion and care are infectious. Join a climate-positive team to find out why.
Passion aside, you can't afford to NOT get into sustainability
This past May, I met up with a friend in San Francisco who works at Citadel, widely considered the best hedge fund on earth. Almost as soon as he sat down, he fired off: "First of all, my guy, how could you not tell me about Enphase!?"
For context, Enphase is a leading solar electronics manufacturer whose stock has increased >12000% since early 2018 (yes, that's the correct number of zeros). And it's not just them. Tesla is up over 1500%, Plug Power, Sunrun, Ameresco and others are meaningfully into triple digits. And that's despite massive hype cycle pullbacks in the industry, the 2021/2022 SPAC fiascos, and general market scrutiny. It turns out the new energy economy is pretty resilient to turbulence, especially of the kind stemming from armed conflicts in the middle east and mother Russia.
After geeking out some more on the ludicrous level of incentives propelling the solar industry, he reflected:
"How is nobody talking about this? We hear things in the news, but people really don't understand that these industries are about to TAKE. OFF."
And as much as wildfires and floods absorb headlines , people still don't seem to know that the next multi-trillion dollar companies are going to come from sustainable industries. Bill Gates certainly thinks so .
The sustainability movement has come a long way since being a financial basket case.
But that makes people wonder--why, after so many decades, is NOW finally the time? Here's why the tipping point is finally here:
COST: Renewables are finally the cheapest form of energy. Solar and wind costs came down 89% and 70% from 2009 to 2019, respectively. Battery costs have come down 97% since 1991. These technologies are now lower cost than fossil fuels.
BACKING: There's huge government support for new and existing tech. The Inflation Reduction Act includes $369B of direct investment, but lots of the package include uncapped tax incentives. Goldman estimates the total program value will be ~$3 trillion by 2032--that's about 1.5% of US GDP per year over the next couple decades. ALL of energy is only 5.6% of GDP today.
ACCOUNTABILITY: national government net zero targets now cover 91% of global GDP, international reputation will increasingly be measured by commitments to goals
RELEVANCE: Natural disasters are only getting more frequent (5x increase over the last 50 years), serving as constant media surround sound to keep progress moving
A couple examples of the absurd growth we're expecting in the coming ~16 years:
It's almost comical.
These factors are making the 2020s and 2030s a pressure cooker for sustainable transformations across business, the public sector, and civil society. Businesses are looking for solutions to reduce their carbon footprints and enable lower waste business models that also meet consumers' higher standards. Governments and communities are looking to create jobs, grow economies, and use the opportunities to address issues of income inequality, social justice, social welfare, and economic development.
The truth is you can't afford to NOT work in sustainability. We're where tech was in 2010--we cleared the hype hurdles, bolstered by post-recession stimulus, and now are in full deployment phase, and it's all hands on deck.
But it's more than that. Society is at the cusp of reinventing the way it produces, distributes, and consumes goods and services, within the ecological boundaries of the planet. Some people call it Natural Capitalism, others call it Doughnut Economics. But whatever the name, it will have profound implications across disciplines.
Businesses are finding new ways to design "circular" product lifecycles that have no waste
Financial markets are finding new ways to price in the risk that seas level rise and heat is causing to assets and business processes
Regulators are creating new structures to protect communities and "the commons" from destruction, pollution, dislocation or environmental degradation
Lawyers are creating new precedent for how to hold organizations and people accountable for damage they do to society
Policymakers are finding ways to redistribute resources from extractive industries to help support society's most vulnerable people
Aid organizations are developing tools to support disaster-stricken communities and address current and looming refugee and resource crises fueled by adverse weather
Our education system and trade schools are finding ways to develop labor forces to power this new economy, whether it be electricians, green infrastructure workers, or chemistry PhDs
Planners and architects are finding ways to make our infrastructure more efficient, equitable, and resilient to changing weather and population flows
Artists are exploring new ways to advocate, motivate, and inspire hope
You get the idea. No matter your discipline, you won't want to miss out.
The next 20 years will rewrite the textbooks of your craft. Whether you're motivated by passion/purpose, job security, financial outcomes, social status, community impact, or making your mark on history--whatever it is--we're entering a sustainability gold rush. You're going to want to pick up a shovel.
Making the jump
I fell into sustainability out of dumb luck, but anyone can choose to jump in. The challenges touch all industries and all functions. They're simultaneously hyper-local and hyper-global in nature--so individual action makes a difference, at all levels. And no matter your job, there are organizations fighting climate change who need people with your skillset.
Taking the first step can be daunting. There's an overwhelming amount of information out there, and much of it wasn't created to help people transition their careers and lives toward sustainability goals.
Do you need to read about and understand news in the solar industry and battery chemistry? Absolutely not.
Do you need to get a PhD in chemistry or material science? God, no.
Do you need to read hundreds of articles about Hawaii wildfires and Florida hurricanes and water disputes in the Sierras until your eyeballs bleed? Hard pass.
Here's the secret. Most "climate" work is actually just REGULAR work, but at an organization (business, advocacy group, government agency, community organization, creative studio, etc.) with a sustainability agenda and clear set of values. There's no required reading or research, and there's definitely no wrong answers when it comes to career, as long as the mission of that org is aligned to climate goals.
If you're interested in learning about climate issues and pursuing climate-positive jobs or lifestyles, I've put together a starter pack with resources to get you started:
A beginner's guide to climate-positive life
And if any of you feel you don't yet have a profession you love, and want to explore paths in climate as a means of finding fulfilling work, then you've come to the right place! This blog is part of a project exploring a new type of leadership development experience for people like you. Check out the EcoMBA.
Every day that talented people don't work on sustainability challenges is one less day we have to meet life-dependent climate goals. The Paris Agreement's global net zero target is 2050. The critical path for the US is 100% clean electricity by 2035. That's about as much time from now as the time that's passed since Obama was reelected...
That's a lot of change to expect in ~11 measly years. But these are years that'll fuel passion, form inspiring communities, and generate massive career opportunity.
Those ~4000 days are ticking, and we're burning daylight.
I love the transition in this piece from hard-nosed profit-oriented planet-sucking industry to thoughtful future-proof growth-oriented economy!
100% agree with what you said about caring community and good managers. From my experience, people working on climate tend to be very good human beings overall!