It’s a surprising thing to find that someone else has compiled a list of one’s own idols.  I’m more than aware that the migratory path from IT to cleantech is becoming well-worn, but didn’t realize it was yet to the point where people actually compiled data like this.  Anyway, this list is invaluable for someone just trying to get a lay of the market.  The companies represented there are some of the largest and most promising in the industry, and the people all have wikipedia pages if you’re interested in their careers.

The discussion after the post moves into some interesting territory.  While the answers presented weren’t particularly insightful, the basic question is a good one to ask: why is the transition from IT to cleantech such a popular one?  My thoughts:

• IT has been the high-growth, high-innovation sector for the past thirty years.  While there are still plenty of small entrepreneurs doing plenty of cool things in the space, it is pretty darn crowded.  Cleantech is still a wild west of crazy new ideas that could all potentially be world-changing (and wildly profitable) given some leadership and capital.


• Maybe this is just me, but there’s something immensely satisfying about building a tangible rather than an intangible product.  I’ve never been able to touch anything that I have built, only to call it up in a browser.


• IT jobs are becoming increasingly specialized, corresponding with the rate that technology is becoming more complicated.  This applies to software and hardware, development and maintenance.  Owning a larger piece of the puzzle is always more rewarding.  Organizational behavior calls this task identity.


• There are real, honest-to-goodness skill transferability opportunities for people at any level.  If you know networking, you can pick up demand response and smart grid.  If you know software development, you can pick up load-level energy monitoring.  Et cetera.  And, there’s always the possibility to work in IT within a cleantech company while you learn the business.