Jeffrey Char is a serial entrepreneur, investor and educator focusing on sustainable energy systems, climate tech and agtech. #energy
Tokyo, Japan
Joined July 2009
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Jeffrey Char retweeted
Jensen Huang says every company will need an OpenClaw agentic system strategy by calling it “the new computer.”
He claims OpenClaw became the most popular open-source project in $NVDA history within weeks and comparing its impact to Linux reshaping the software stack.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Most founders think they need VC money. But for most, it’s the wrong move. Here’s why..
Too many founders chase venture dollars for all the wrong reasons:
👉 Validation - to prove they’re legit.
👉 Because the “cool kids” are doing it.
👉 Because they think it’s the only way to grow.
Here’s the reality a lot of founders miss: VC money isn’t just a check. It comes with relentless pressure, massive expectations, and sacrifices you might not be ready for.
The founders who thrive in the VC world aren't chasing clout or cash or validation. They’re obsessed with what they’re building. They’d do it regardless of who’s watching.
So if you're considering becoming a venture backed business, ask yourself:
1. Can you see yourself doing this for the next 10 years, through all the hard parts?
2. If there was no press, no awards, no social buzz.. would you still care?
If not, rethink your path. There are smarter ways to grow a great business - without the strings VC money brings.
I dropped a full episode on @FundedPod on this exact topic today. Go check it out
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Hiring a VP of Sales early to figure out how to sell your product usually doesn't work out too well for startups. Instead, start with a founder-led sales process.
As a founder, you know your product and market better than anyone else. Lead the initial sales efforts yourself. Talk to potential customers, understand their pain points, and refine your pitch based on real feedback.
Once you've nailed the sales process and gained some traction, hire a couple of sales reps. Make sure they’re hitting quota and consistently closing deals.
Only then should you bring in a VP of Sales. Their job is to improve and scale the a process, not to figure it out from scratch.
Skip this step and you risk wasting a ton of time and resources. Even the best sales leaders need a clear, validated process to succeed.
So get in the trenches, pick up the phone, prove out your sales process, and only then bring on a VP Sales to scale it out.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Look at the explosive growth and falling costs of batteries, solar and wind in the chart below…the numbers are really impressive.
This is why I think we will have a near zero marginal cost of energy by 2030. The incremental cost of generating power will approach ~$0.005/kWh in this time frame - essentially making power free and abundant.
The big issue will be the realized cost of this energy and will demonstrate, especially in the US, the decrepit and costly delivery infrastructure from the incumbent utilities. All of this translates into higher prices which makes no sense (see image).
My bet has, and will continue to be, that more and more of power will be generated by individuals using solar PV + battery packs in their home.
The pull through from EVs will also help accelerate this trend.
So whether you want a Tesla and end up with solar and battery or you simply want lower energy costs and break away from your utility, many Americans will end up in the same place: they will become a mini utility that makes power from the sun and uses it to power their lives.
Now, one thing we will save for later is the tipping point of insolvency for utilities as this trend really accelerates: how do they pay for their debt when enough people generate their own power and quit the utilities?
This is a multi $T default in the offing…likely in the 2030-2040 timeframe.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Young people should NOT go into venture capital. The best path is be in the arena in the following 4 ways, in order:
a) start your own company & join an accelerator like @launch or @ycombinator
b) join a high-growth startup that's funded
c) join a well run high-growth company (Tesla, SpaceX, Stripe, Reddit, etc)
down the list are...
d) run an average big co (to learn what not to do)
e) join a venture fund, if you must
Jeffrey Char retweeted
25 years ago, In 1998, Reed and I flew to Seattle to talk about selling Netflix to Amazon. The meeting went well, and Jeff Bezos floated a price of $15 million.
That wouldn’t have been a bad payday for less than 12 months work, but we thought we were on to something. We had finally gotten the engine to turn over so we weren’t quite ready to put it in park and hand someone else the keys.
Looking back, I know now that this trip was about much more than just selling the company.
It turns out that there’s nothing like having the option to get out that reinforces your desire to stay in.
For Reed and I, this wasn’t a sales trip.
This was a commitment ceremony.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
“Our world can get all its energy needs from renewables at a price below that of fossil fuels. When we first proposed this, we were ridiculed, but this paper shows our ideas are now scientific mainstream" — @AukeHoekstra
FINALLY!
Our paper on 100%RE is out!
It traces the history and fast growth of the scientific field that models 100% renewable energy: no fossil or nuclear needed.
Hundreds of peer reviewed studies now claim 100%RE is possible worldwide against low cost!
helsinkitimes.fi/themes/them…
Jeffrey Char retweeted
every VC this wk:
"ATTN FOUNDERS! Ignore everything I've said for past 24 mo's (or past 5-10 yrs) -- NOW LISTEN UP you have to:
- cut burn
- keep profitable growth
- increase margins
- fire underperformers
- inspire remaining staff
- and MOST IMPORTANT: keep listening to me!
As startups face potential drops in valuation and VCs wanting lower spending and higher margins, some turn to trimming staff, marketing, and project ambitions (@heathersomervil / Wall Street Journal)
wsj.com/articles/for-tech-st…
techmeme.com/220517/p33#a220…
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Absolutely astonishing. During Russian Channel 1’s evening news broadcast, a woman ran onto the set with a sign: “No war…Don’t believe the propaganda. They’re lying to you here.”
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Japan's tough entry restrictions stand out as WHO urges easing.
s.nikkei.com/3IsKgPH
Jeffrey Char retweeted
We're now 2 yrs into the decisive decade. Emissions should be in an unprecedented fall, instead we're seeing the 2nd biggest rise ever recorded. We're wasting invaluable time pretending we can solve this crisis without treating it like a crisis. World leaders are still in denial.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
The Fukushima disaster "was the result of collusion between the government, the regulators and TEPCO, and the lack of governance by said parties." We should add to that a failure by media to act as watchdogs.
thediplomat.com/2021/03/fuku…
Jeffrey Char retweeted
GridPlus has decided to completely focus on its core competencies with blockchain security and privacy.
Texas' deregulated energy market has collapsed, but a singular focus on crypto ensures a brighter future for GridPlus, the #Lattice1, and $GRID.
blog.gridplus.io/focusing-on…
Jeffrey Char retweeted
2020 @BloombergNEF lithium-ion battery price index drops on Dec 16. Here's the last 10 years: from $1,183 per kilowatt-hour in 2010, to $156/kWh last year, and an expected $135/kWh this year. Let's see how much the market undershoots our prediction.
Jeffrey Char retweeted
Unpresidented Trump concession speech
😂🤣😅😆🤣
It's not even fake news - he actually said all of this
Well, yes, no, true - not all at the same time.
But all in his own words.
ICYMI
teapawt.net/HRHAdeyemiAdams/status… – at Perth, Western Australia
Jeffrey Char retweeted
My generation, and those coming after, are the future. We deserve to be fought for. We deserve climate justice, social justice and equity.
#SaveTheChildren
Jeffrey Char retweeted
One of my greatest sources of hope lies in the huge potential of rewilding and restoring nature. This, together with climate equity and stop burning fossil fuels, is the key towards a sustainable world. #FaceTheClimateEmergency