#154 Automated Site Selection & Environmental Due Diligence for Developers, Permitting Challenges, the Cost of Solar, & More w/ Robin Laine (Transect)

🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition. Are you a regular listener? If you take 7 min to give us some feedback, it will drastically help us improve the content for you. Today, we are talking with Robin Laine from Transect.We cover…* The issue choosing the best locations for renewables and how Transect solves that* How Robin established a “culture-first” company* How to convert a manual solution into a scalable technologyAsk yourself this: is the content we put out valuable enough to you that you’d be willing to buy us a latte 🍵 once a month? 📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack ChannelThe Guest: Robin LaineRobin Laine, CEO and Co-founder of Transect, has had a rich 17-year tenure within the environmental sector, marked by diverse roles ranging from field biologist to national program manager across various organizations. Her experience spans land surveys for sensitive resources, permitting processes for numerous development ventures, and providing environmental oversight for Fortune 500 enterprises. Now, at Transect, Robin channels her passion to create an online platform that facilitates environmental due diligence and site selection.The Company: TransectSolar Software, Remote Sensing, Data AdvisoryOne-liner: Transforming site selection to improve renewable energy performance for developersTransect's software redefines the landscape of site selection and environmental due diligence, representing a transformative tool for developers across various sectors. Offering instantaneous analysis tailored to renewable energy, utilities, oil and gas, and infrastructure projects, Transect facilitates swift identification and assessment of optimal sites, compressing timelines from weeks to mere minutes. Its standout features encompass rapid site localization, comprehensive critical issues assessment, seamless integration with real-time data updates, adaptable functionality across diverse industries, intuitive user interface, cost-effective efficiency, and preemptive risk management. Enjoying the CleanTechies PodLetter? Please show your support by subscribing! 📝 Show Notes:Topics* 02:37 Need for Transformation in Permitting* 05:58 How Transect Streamlines the process* 08:47 Building Trust with Developers* 11:50 Robin's Journey from Consultant to Entrepreneur* 23:33 Raising Transect's Seed Round* 24:38 Early Contracts and Scaling the Team* 32:24 Building a Culture-First Company and Hiring for Mission Alignment* 38:45 Being Customer-First* 45:32 Opportunities for Software in the Renewables Industry* 47:25 Future Solar Energy CostsLinks* Robin Laine | Transect* Connect with Somil | Connect with Silas* Check out our sponsor, NextWave Partners, for all your Climate, Renewables, and Sustainability recruitment needs.* This podcast is NOT investment advice. Do your homework and due diligence before investing in anything discussed on this podcast.Leave a comment with what you learned in today’s episode! 💭Asks 👋* We have recently launched a listener survey, and we would love to hear from you how we can improve the show and what you like most. Please take 7 minutes to help us with this. It’s 7 minutes for you, but it makes a huge impact on how we can serve you.* Have a specific guest or topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment and let us know.Here’s the thing: Somil and I both have day jobs, so if you’re in the helping mood, we both have an ask for you today.Somil: I’m currently seeking to connect with founders in the built environment space for a project I’m working on. If you’re in that space, schedule a chat here!Silas: As many of you know, my day job is solving people’s hiring headaches in climate - do you have a hiring headache? Well, let me be your Advil. (booking here)🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers!!! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates? Maybe getting candidates but can’t bring them across the line consistently? Or not getting sufficient applicants? — Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you. is a leading Global Renewables, Climate, & Sustainability recruitment consultancy solely focused on these impact areas. They are also B-Corp Certified.Reach out to them today to help you solve your hiring challenges and get you one step closer to making an impact.🙏🏽 Thanks for tuning in, and see you all next episode! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cleantechies.substack.com/subscribe