Does 'climate tech' need (another) rebrand?

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How do things get names? Who decides? What happens if they’re contested? Does it matter?

A brand, a label, a name, the words applied to people, places, or things change how an audience feels, and influences outcomes.

“Call me Ishmael”, “deadnaming”, or try using the wrong place-name depending on what bank of the River Foyle in Northern Ireland you find yourself, and see how that goes. On the other hand, if your company so dominates your category that your brand becomes a verb, like Hoover. But in the internet age the process happens much faster — see Google, Uber, Tinder.

As for people and companies, a tricker object is a whole category. Successfully dominating a category - even if you have to invent one - is, according to Silicon Valley investors like Peter “Competition is for Losers” Thiel, the only type of strategy worth pursuing. And often that will involve getting the name of the category right - some magical combination of things already in the zeitgeist, something that chimes with the audience/customer/media without them consciously knowing why.

The idea of whether businesses are in a category called “cleantech” or “climate tech” or “defence tech” or “fintech” does matter, I’d argue.

So I asked Art Lapinsch, a startup founder with a successful exit turned climate communications guru and energy lawyer. Now writing a lot of smart stuff on the subject in his new consultancy Delphi Zero, I wanted to return to the “is ‘climate tech’ dead?” debate.

But Lapinsch’s bio itself would be enough to want to hear him - going from fleeing civil war in the former Yugoslavia to adtech startup founder to turning to climate solutions ventures and how they should tell their stories. You’re going to enjoy getting to know him. I certainly did. And he was a good sport when dog-related imminent disaster required putting him on hold for a minute. Don’t worry. There’s good interval music for the occasion.

In this Conversation

00:00 Introduction to Climate Tech Narratives

01:17 Meet Art Lapinsch: Background and Mission

02:36 Personal Impact of Global Events

03:03 Delving into Energy Security

04:28 The Evolution of Climate Tech

08:32 Communication Strategies in Business

17:49 The Role of Neologisms in Industry

21:38 Ethics and Communication

22:05 Defining Neologisms and Ethical Communication

22:41 The Venn of Profit, Legality, and Ethics

23:50 Ethical Communication Techniques

25:36 Political Communication and Climate Founders

27:15 Common Mistakes in Branding and Communication

30:11 Navigating Venture Capital Challenges

35:32 Personal Reflections on Risk and Resilience

40:46 Final Thoughts and Future Projects

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