#165 Iterating Hardware, Productizing Solar Procurement, Efficiency Mindset, & More w/ Mike Hall (Anza)

TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS 🚨* As you have seen, we have recently launched a Patreon 🥳🚀 please check it out and consider buying us **just one** latte ☕️* Thanks for returning to the CleanTechies Podcast on Substack! We have a big favor to ask you. Please take a couple minutes to fill out our listeners’ survey! Thank you SO much for being a supporter.🌎 Welcome back to the CleanTechies PodLetter, founder edition.Today, we are talking to Mike Hall from AnzaIn this conversation, we chat about…* How a process optimization mindset led them to sping out Anza from Borrego * Providing end-user feedback to OEMs via benchmarking * Transitioning from leading a developer to a software business And much more… 📺 Watch on YouTube🍎 Apple Podcasts 🎧 Spotify🗣️ Join the Slack ChannelSubscribe to get these episodes and show notes directly in your inbox - if you find this valuable, consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue this work. Already a subscriber? Upgrade to paid by clicking on “Upgrade to Paid” in the top right 👆The Guest: Mike Hall* Mike Hall started his career as a Process Engineer and eventually went to work with his brother at Borrego, where they would go on to turn it into one of the leading Renewable Energy Developers and EPCs in the US. * Through building Borrego and always striving to improve efficiency, they developed internal software to help them procure solar panels more efficiently and always get the right hardware. * In 2023, they raised some PE and then spun out Anza as its own company from Borrego. The Startup: AnzaSolar, Procurement, Productization One-liner: Saving solar developers large amounts of time and helping them always get the right product. Anza is originally an internal tool that Borrego developed internally in order to streamline their procurement process and ensure they were always getting the right equipment for the job. Despite only officially spinning out in 2023, this company or product has been in existence for years while being used and refined internally at Borrego. Today Anza is helping dozens of clients save time and avoid mistakes when it comes to procuring solar pannels. Hopefully in the future we will see them add aditional functionalities. Enjoy the content but unable to support financially? Share the episode with your network and mention your favorite aspect of the show. 🙏📝 Show Notes:Topics* 02:20 The Problem with Solar Module Procurement* 07:11 Value Beyond Price in Procurement* 09:23 Working with Sellers * 12:06 Trends in Solar Product Sales* 15:38 The Journey of Starting ANZA* 22:25 Transitioning from Borrego to ANZA* 31:45 The Impact of Climate Legislation* 37:24 Underutilizing Technology and Data in the Industry* 41:11 Advice for Founders in the Renewable Energy Space* 43:02 The Benefits of Being a Second-Time Founder* 44:46 The Journey to Becoming an Entrepreneur* 47:39 Takeaways SectionLinks* Mike Hall | Anza* 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.🚨🚨🚨 Attention Hiring Managers! Are you struggling to find qualified candidates?—Reach out to our sponsors, NextWave Partners today to help solve that for you.NextWave Partners 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.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)🙏🏽 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