What the Power Industry Can Learn from Tech Startups

Breaking Barriers: How the Power Sector Can Adopt a Tech Startup Mindset

Throughout my career, I’ve worked across innovation, entrepreneurship, product development, and global business, engaging with both traditional industries and fast-moving startups. From managing international teams to leading branding strategies and scouting business opportunities, I’ve seen firsthand how agility and adaptability determine success. And yet, I’ve noticed a striking contrast—while tech startups thrive on rapid iteration, the power sector remains bound by slow-moving structures and legacy systems.

Having lived and worked in five countries, I’ve had the privilege of seeing how different markets and industries innovate at different speeds. What if the power sector could borrow strategies from the startup world? What if energy companies adopted agility, iteration, and customer-centric thinking instead of relying on long bureaucratic cycles?

Lesson 1: Agility Over Legacy

Tech startups are known for their ability to pivot quickly. Unlike large corporations, they don’t spend years analyzing whether an idea will work—they test, learn, and adjust in real time. This resonates with my experience in trend hunting and creative problem-solving—the best opportunities emerge when we move fast and experiment.

During my time mentoring startups and working with product development teams, I saw that speed matters more than perfection. The power sector, with its deeply entrenched infrastructure and long regulatory processes, could benefit from more pilot projects, rapid experimentation, and minimum viable product (MVP) thinking.

✅ What the power sector can do: Start treating new energy solutions as experiments rather than finalized megaprojects that take years to implement. Small-scale, iterative deployments could drive faster innovation.

Lesson 2: Customer-Centric Thinking

Startups are obsessed with the end user. Whether it’s an app, a SaaS platform, or an e-commerce brand, they focus on the customer experience. The power industry, on the other hand, has traditionally been a supply-driven sector, focused on infrastructure rather than customer engagement.

I’ve worked across branding development and marketing activities, and one thing is clear—people connect with experiences, not just products. Energy providers often see customers as passive users rather than active participants in their energy consumption.

✅ What the power sector can do: Reimagine the energy experience for customers. What if consumers had the same seamless experience with energy providers as they do with tech platforms? Personalized pricing, smart energy management apps, and better communication could transform the relationship between providers and users.

Lesson 3: Culture of Innovation & Experimentation

Startups embrace failure as part of the learning process. In the power sector, failure is often seen as unacceptable due to large capital investments and regulatory constraints. But in my work with innovation methodologies like design thinking, agile, and lean startup, I’ve seen that innovation requires experimentation, risk-taking, and embracing uncertainty.

My experience working with international stakeholders and cross-functional teams has shown me that industries resistant to change are often the ones that get disrupted first. The companies that thrive are those that foster a culture of innovation.

✅ What the power sector can do: Encourage intrapreneurship, create cross-functional teams, and allow employees to test new ideas without fear of failure.

The Future of Energy Requires a Mindset Shift

The energy transition isn’t just about technology—it’s about rethinking the way the industry operates. By adopting a startup mindset, energy companies can drive more efficient innovation, improve customer experiences, and remain competitive in an evolving landscape.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked on bridging gaps between industries, leading multi-skilled teams, and understanding global business trends. I know that the industries that embrace change are the ones that will lead the future.

What do you think? Can the power industry truly embrace agility and innovation like tech startups, or are the barriers too high?