Ask Starpath CEO Saurav Shroff his thoughts on America's space priorities and he'll say we're "one order of magnitude high on cost and one order of magnitude low on ambition." Starpath's answer, at least to part of the problem, is ultra-low cost space power, which is generated by solar panels. Starpath's new space-rated solar panel business kicked off sales in the U.S. on September 25 with an eyebrow-raising pitch. The company says its solar panels, called "Starlight," are priced around 10 times cheaper than typical industry pricing of $7-250 per watt, roughly a 90% cost reduction versus the status quo.
Listeners and readers of "Ecommerce Conversations" know I occasionally depart from interviews to share my experiences owning and operating Beardbrand, the direct-to-consumer brand I launched a decade ago. To date, I've addressed hiring, branding, profit-building, priority-setting, exiting, overcoming setbacks, and top business models. This too is a solo episode, addressing entrepreneurial doldrums, when a business is seemingly stuck in no growth or worse. Certainly that's the story of Beardbrand over the past couple of years.
As energy costs rise and sustainability becomes a priority for businesses of all sizes, investing in solar panels for your office building is no longer a niche decision, it's a strategic one.