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You probably assume that the Utility-scale solar market, having deployed hundreds of GW globally, has surely by now figured out the necessary software suite to manage projects.  It’s hard to imagine how everybody would just keep building novel tools in silos like it’s still 1998 and Salesforce still doesn’t exist!

Well today’s guest, Andrea Barber, founded RatedPower to solve the same challenges she noticed many of her colleagues were struggling with, including her former employer and their customers.

In today’s episode, we get into the details of how and why this powerful female leader found herself answering the call to step out on her own and start a company focused on solar project design & management software. Fresh off a ~$6M Series A, Andrea and team are bringing their SaaS suite of utility-scale solar project development tools to the US market, and Nico gets down to the details with Andrea on the acute problems they aim to solve, along with the usual how, when, where & why of choosing her founder team, scaling an MVP and capitalizing a new venture. 

Impressively, RatedPower has been profitable since year one, so the fundraising was to fuel expansion. If you’ve been considering how to take your nascent idea and turn it into a viable venture, then you’re going to love this candid discussion with Andrea.


BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:


RESOURCES:

Find Andrea on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Follow RatedPower on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and check out their website.





NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:

Since I was quite young, I used to see opportunities everywhere. One day I remember my Mom told me to write down these ideas and that is what I did for years.
— Andrea Barber

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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:

Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.

Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.

You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.

If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.