The Entrepreneurs for Impact Podcast: Transcripts
$100M Love Letter to Pioneering Climate Business Leaders – Rachel Delacour, CEO of Sweep
PODCAST INTERVIEW
Chris Wedding:
Rachel Delacour, Co-founder and CEO of Sweep, welcome to the podcast.
Rachel Delacour:
Thank you, nice to be here.
Chris Wedding:
As listeners will hear, you have a lovely sophisticated French accent because you are French and in France and the first French CEO, French company on the podcast. Maybe the second in recent months, focused on climate tech in the EU, which is pretty cool.
I think just as listeners settle into this podcast, they should know that you are someone who has had a successful exit in the past, not in climate tech, but great to be bringing those skills over to climate tech. The other is that you are an investor, so you sit on that side of the table as well and a board member and mother of little kiddos, which we'll get into, but maybe a reason why you've made this transition.
Rachel Delacour:
Yes, definitely.
Chris Wedding:
And a nice little sound bite, which folks saw in the title of this podcast, which is you all are getting some serious traction. $100 million raised to make, I'll say carbon management analytics, there's way more to it, possible, that's pretty serious. So, with all that, Rachel, let's just start with, give us the elevator pitch for Sweep.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, elevator pitch, there is plenty of elevator pitch for Sweep and hopefully you will all manage to listen to me and to understand me until the end of this podcast. So, Sweep, it's a carbon management platform for large enterprises and we help them actually to build science-based and data-driven climate programs. So they can track and reduce emissions across their teams and value chains, which is super important for us.
Yes, you can put us in the SaaS category, SaaS climate tech category and we are bringing our former, as you mentioned, first company expertise, business intelligence analytics to carbon, to help those large companies to finally manage to reduce their emissions at scale.
Chris Wedding:
For sure. It's kind that you almost apologize for your accent, but I can tell you I understand perfectly and if the roles were reversed, there'll be no conversation because I speak zero French. Even doing my best in Spanish or Japanese, we cannot have this chat, so awesome. One clarifying question on your target customer. You mentioned large enterprises. Define large and to what degree are the EU companies versus, “Hey, wherever you are, we're here to help you,”?
Rachel Delacour:
Large companies for us, actually we are talking about large emitters of carbon dioxide and they are actually the big agents of change. So, we've done everything we could to craft the best product possible to help them first, to be sure that we were really answering their complexity. Because talking about large emitters, you are talking about industrials, you are talking about sometimes old companies who have so many data everywhere, lots of business units arise. But we are also talking about financial institutions who are everywhere in this world, who have large portfolios of companies that they can help to reduce their emissions. All those organizations, they are the biggest agents of change.
05:13
So, we really wanted to address their needs, address their pain and for that, you need particular skills, from a data standpoint, from an analytics standpoint, from a carbon science-based standpoint to answer their needs because they are already educated. Regulations already didn't wait to ask them for action, so for this, they need something, they need Sweep, definitely.
Regarding the distributions, I would say that indeed we are mostly working with European customers right now, but we are also working more and more with Australia, Japan, and we have definitely US customers. We are working with HP Inc and we are addressing their scope strip, so I don't want to be too much. Okay, we are helping them to half the emissions of their partners’ network. So, their partners, their resellers, HP is pushing Sweep, for example, to their partners worldwide to account for their carbon emission reductions. Yeah, definitely. So, HP, but other customers in the US, but I have to say mostly in Europe for now.
We are a two-year-old company, so we are a young company. Unfortunately, we are not so young ourselves. We've been building a first company altogether. When I say altogether is that my co-founder and I did that again, I would say and we are a core team of people who've been working together for 15 years. So, everything is going much faster when you know each other from the engineering, marketing, design. Yeah, we know each other for a while, so this is also why we have this trust from lots of great people around us. We have a nice momentum, definitely.
Chris Wedding:
Well, I would say raising $100 million and having the caliber of clients like HP within two years is very, very rare. Yeah, so it makes a little more sense when you tell me you've been working with the same team plus or minus on different ventures for 15 years. That matters a lot to investors as well.
All right, can you tell us something you strongly believe in, Rachel? This can be about business. It can be not about business, but let's go to the belief, the why level for a second.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, so my whole life to today is really around what we can do to accelerate. There is still some climate stability, so how we can preserve that. I try to not use too much climate change, et cetera, so let's work to preserve what remains of climate stability. My whole day is on this and focused on this.
At the end of every day, for me, I know that carbon is a data and a network problem. If we are really well understanding that everything related to carbon, it's a data and a network problem and if we are working really hard on it, if we are working really hard to map all those carbon pixels we are emitting out there, so my focus is on companies, on B2B, on businesses because they are as I told you, the biggest agent of change.
08:57
When you understand that carbon is a network problem, we are all together in the same boat, our Scope 1, Scope 2 is always the Scope 3 of someone else. So, if you have the right technology to map all this and to allow that collective climate action through a digital dialogue, actually, when you are interconnecting all businesses, a whole value chain, a whole industry, this is when you start to understand what's happening. This is when you start to draw the right baseline of our needs, where we need exactly to act, where are the hotspots in that industry in particular.
When I'm still hearing in 2022, some companies claiming that they are carbon neutral at the scale of their company, this is not true. This is not saying that this is not true. They can't be carbon neutral. It's not possible. So, they start to be aligned to carbon worldwide neutrality, when they're onboarding as much partners as possible. This is what HP is doing with their HP Amplify Impact program, for example. You can't claim that just at the scale of your company. You must onboard your extended scope strip, your extended value chain.
When you are asking the suppliers about their emissions, that same supplier needs to ask emissions of their own suppliers. So, this is when the world will start to be serious about carbon and to have a real collective climate action. So, how are you doing that at the scale of 10 billion people? How are you doing that at the scale of so many companies, so many geopolitical problems that we are facing right now? If you are not relying on technology, on digital, we are screwed. Sorry to use that word, but—
Chris Wedding:
Please bring it on.
Rachel Delacour:
…that’s what's happening. This is when you are happy to be French because you can use some bad words and people are always excusing you. So, anyway.
Chris Wedding:
You're good. Yeah, safe space.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, but you know what I mean? This is where I strongly believe that digital technology can really be the oil of that conversation, of that carbon dialogue at scale and point fingers where they have to be pointed. Yeah, this is why I feel in an important place actually, to play my part, it’s my responsibility.
With all that first experience that we had at BIME Analytics doing business intelligence, when we were connecting those dots with my co-founder, it was so obvious for us that we had to show all that expertise, all that energy, all that connection with financial partners, all that connection to a fantastic pool of talents. We couldn't just be safe on the beach after this acquisition. It was all about trying to help.
I think we are definitely able to help with that expertise on that part of helping that collective climate action, that digital dialogue where all companies are linked and reduce their emission in the world industry, in the world value chain. Is it clear for you?
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, I think one phrase, which I don't hear or think about often enough is preserving climate stability, which I get it for sure. That also relates to another part you said, which I interpreted as, “I'm lucky and I'm excited to be playing this role right now in humanity's battle with the climate crisis.” Right this very moment, I haven't thought about it, but right this very moment I think if I were doing what I'm doing 20 years from now, I'm not sure I'd be as excited because there would be projected to be less climate stability to preserve a feeling probably in 20 years. I'm projecting here. Question mark.
13:19
Is there less opportunity in 20 years to reverse the path of climate change than there is today? Which I think is excitement or responsibility that you're talking about, I think feel a little bit as well. I'm watching your face here. Yeah, go for it, Rachel.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, at the end of the day, it's still a business that you have to run. Of course, there is always a premium for first entrance, first companies entering—
Chris Wedding:
First movers, yeah.
Rachel Delacour:
…the first movers, yeah, definitely, but in 20 years from now, the industry we will need much more, we will need to optimize what is being done right now so there will be room for innovation, definitely. Today there is no clear winner in all what we are all doing. Either we are talking about sequestration technology or either we are talking about carbon management platform. There is no clear winner, but there will definitely, and there will be much more new technologies partnering with us, connecting to optimize all what we can do to help companies to achieve their goals of carbon reductions, emission reductions.
It's like if you're saying, okay, when Google started, it's less exciting now to start a business because basically Google can do everything they want. They can launch any new business. They can launch a carbon management platform if they want. So, why should I prevent myself to solve that pain if I am still thinking that Google can do it? Definitely they can do it.
They can also compete with Dyson, the hoover. They have the financial surface to do whatever they want. Now, it's a matter of having the right team always. Think about Zoom that has completely re-optimized what has been done for 20 years. So, there will always be people innovating, doing better, optimizing, and for good. That's cool. That's super optimistic actually.
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, for sure. You also mentioned two other things I want to highlight. One was around you-all’s work with financial institutions and just recognizing the role they play. I think a term that resonates with me is this, financed emissions recognizing their role as enabler or a catalyst, which I think is just an important pin to put in the wall.
The other around Scope 3, well, certainly our listeners, but more business professionals are becoming aware of what Scope 3 means. The most recent data, well, not the most recent, some recent data I can think about from CDP and their supply chain research, which suggests that 75-90% of a corporate's footprint is in Scope 3, which heretofore is largely not measured at all, which is like, well, what are you measuring? Well, obviously, Scope 1, Scope 2 direct emissions. Are those percentages how you all think about it? Are they different? Maybe where do you see your customers in terms of, “Oh, well, hey, Sweep, we want your help with Scope 1. Or no, it's two, or yeah, how about three, two,”? What do you want to pick up on, Rachel?
16:49
Rachel Delacour:
You know Scope 3 is why we have entered the battle because when I told you that carbon is a data problem and it's a network problem, it's a network problem because companies are incredibly struggling to connect that Scope 3, to understand what's happening in that Scope 3.
The fact that we are coming from a world where we've done business intelligence in a distributed way with cloud infrastructure working on top of very large distributed databases, it's helping tremendously to help us think about the, I don't want to be too complex, but it helps us to mask the complexity of the data background, of the network effect background from a technical standpoint that is needed to help companies to interconnect their carbon footprint.
Scope 3, it's all about being sure that a company is getting on a regular basis the carbon footprint of their suppliers in a most detailed way as possible. So, we are masking that complexity. We are interconnecting those carbon footprints infinitely at the scale of a whole industry. This is why, for example, very large emitters, very complex companies like Saint-Gobain, the glass manufacturer who have hundreds and hundreds of plants, business units, production sites everywhere in the world in almost 70-80 countries, they are using Sweep for that.
I told you about the HP Amplify Impact program using Sweep for that, Scope 3 in particular and the goal is really to bring our expertise to consolidate all that data so that the large corporate can definitely understand what's happening in their Scope 3. And definitely change the relationship they have with their suppliers.
Now, we are talking about carbon guys. We are not just talking about commission on contracts or else. We are talking about how we can solve that carbon emission problem at the scale of our industry. Our goal is also to reinvent the relationship that large accounts have as with their portfolio of suppliers through that carbon dialogue. It's super interesting also for us, so of course, we are helping them.
The carbon layer we have on top of that data platform is science-based, super data-driven as I told you. Compliant with all the security net flows, compliant with all the regulation. What the regulation is asking in terms of framework to report on your Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3, but if you don't have the right data architecture, the right data structure behind the scene, it's incredibly complex to orchestrate that exchange of information with your supplier.
So, this is where we are good at, having sought that data platform first and think about the fashion industry, how it's difficult. We've been winning the LVMH. No, we didn't win, but we were the finalists of the LVMH Innovation Awards in 2022. We are a carbon management platform. We don't have a fashion stamp on it. What I mean is that we are not coming from the fashion world, but this is something super important for them and we've been among the shortlisted finalists at worldwide scale. So, just to show you the importance of the topic and it was all about Scope 3 in that case. Yeah, hopefully now it's a matter of work executing well on all this on our side.
When I was talking about the infrastructure and the way the architecture, we have a thought behind the curtain, that infrastructure actually, architecture definitely clicked the first time we were presenting Sweep to a financial institution. That financial institution told us, “Wow, this is exactly the way we need to embrace our portfolio.” Because when you have a large corporation and you are onboarding your suppliers, actually it's the same for financial institutions who need to onboard their portfolio of participations, whether it's an asset manager or whether it's a private equity firm.
21:17
So, that architecture was super interesting for them and they said, “Okay, for us, let's start that Sweep for finance offering because they definitely need that. They definitely need on their participations. Their participations when they are large corporations, they can themselves address their Scope 3, they can themselves invite their suppliers.” So, the goal for us is, I would die in peace, I would say, I’m exaggerating, but if I am mapping a whole industry, it's my dream. My dream is to map the world of carbon, because this is where we will start to have a real conversation about, where should we start to reduce correctly?
Chris Wedding:
Well, yeah, that's inspiring, the ambition of mapping the whole world of this carbon points. I think another takeaway for listeners, they heard you reference earlier, BIME Analytics, your earlier venture, which you built and sold, I believe to Zendesk. I think one lesson there and we're seeing this, that many professionals are switching careers, switching industries, coming into climate solutions broadly. And great, because they're not just bringing skills, but perspectives.
Perspectives we need to solve this problem, like saying carbon is a network problem, or being able to visualize, mapping the world and all of the suppliers and their suppliers and their suppliers and so on, ad infinitum. The other, I think, is similar, you referenced that we need to make this a digital dialogue. These are words and concepts, I think, that are not inherent to the climate tech space or cleantech space. So, it's nice to have folks outside coming in.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah. When we started to have all those ideas about how we could really help with our former background, at the end of the day, we were just geeky guys. We come from the tech world, BI, data, et cetera. What do we do for the carbon layer, guys? The fact that you are a first-time entrepreneur, supposed to be successful, I never know what is success to be honest with you, but anyway, we were supposed to be successful, so of course we manage to trigger the right phone calls with the right person.
I managed to very quickly get a Nobel Prize over the phone, so that first experience helped us to open the doors of the best people. And those best people told me, “Okay, Rachel, you definitely need to talk to that person,” so [inaudible – 00:24:04] will tell you he's a great thought leader in France when it comes to carbon climate journey inventing the net zero initiative framework, because I don't want to brag about being French. I'm respectful of you guys.
Chris Wedding:
Go for it.
Rachel Delacour:
But you have to know that France is a land of carbon knowledge. Actually, carbon footprint has been invented in France and we have public institutions for 20 years, which are giving for free carbon data, carbon analysis to companies. So, what I mean is that our companies are very educated when it comes to carbon, climate journey, net zero initiative and our engineers are trained about carbon. We are a land of carbon talent pool and we have lots of [inaudible – 00:25:02] specialists.
25:03
So, I tapped into that network and I told that person that, “Okay, we have that idea. We are paying you as a consultant to completely destroy our ideas because we are just geeky guys.” We explained to him what we had understood and now how we needed to productize what he has in mind to add that carbon layer. Being sure that we were science-based, to talk with companies, to really help solve their pain of Scope 1 and Scope 2, but most importantly, Scope 3. Actually, he joined us. He was our first employee.
Chris Wedding:
Nice.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, because he completely believed that our approach to carbon at a global scale was incredibly powerful, so he joined. Then he introduced us to the best carbon expert of his network. They joined. Then we had that fantastic team of tech geeky data guys marrying those super carbon experts and then it was all about building the best product for the customer. They’ve been helping for decades, whether they were CAC 40 company or a very large European insurance bank, company. We were working all together.
But at the end of the day, dear Chris, we are still selling a software. We are still selling a SaaS. There are codes to sell these SaaS to enterprise. You have to embrace the current world to better move in the next world, but at the end of the day, we are a SaaS provider, we are a SaaS vendor. What do you do if you are not gathering the best people from a go-to-market standpoint who are helping you to address the enterprise chief level who are making the buying decision? How do you just sell your product?
Because if you are not becoming a cash machine and yes, I'm really using that word, if you are not becoming a cash machine, you have absolutely no impact. So, I will also die in peace if I became a fantastic cash machine at Sweep, Sweep became that fantastic cash machine because I won't have any impact if we are not that cash machine.
We have to embrace this world. We live in this world and the quickest I can help this world, that we can help this world to transition and make sure that we can, you know what I mean? So, we had to assemble that fantastic go-to-market team and this is where we are at to tap into.
This is where we welcomed great people, a chief revenue officer, marketing. Our VP marketing is coming from a fantastic world of SaaS enterprise. So, you have different worlds joining together to sell that story, actually, and joining forces for good hopefully. We are a B Corp also, Chris, I don't know if you know that, yeah. We are a B Corp.
You have all those forces who are joining, but it was super important that it was for me to put the B Corp boundaries on it. So that every decision we are making with those three worlds, the engineering ones, the carbon ones and the go-to-market ones are inside the B Corp boundaries, because we need to be a modern company, definitely. We need to be sure that from a social, from a governance standpoint, from an environmental standpoint, we are raising 100 million of dollars, but they must be in a safe place.
29:01
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, I'm a big fan of B Corp's. Several of the members in our Climate Mastermind peer group are B Corp's, so big fan for sure. Let's see, I want to go back to why businesses are saying, “Yes, I'd love to be a Sweep customer.” Part of it is, can Sweep provide what we need? I think the answer there is yes, but why pay for it?
Speak to, are there regulatory drivers? I know certainly here in the US many companies are scared slash motivated by this proposed SEC rule on GHG disclosure. Why are folks saying yes?
Rachel Delacour:
As you mentioned, because of regulatory pressure, but also because of reputational pressure. Reputation coming from your customers, your employees, your suppliers also. This is the way it is today. You can't avoid to answer that question to your employees, to your stakeholders, to your investors and to your government at the end of the day.
There is also CEOs who completely integrated, who completely clicked on the fact that if they want to be a forever company and they are paid for that, it's their responsibility to think about all the company they are running can last for centuries.
If they are not integrating environment, carbon emissions, their impact on the world they are having, if they are not integrating it, if they are not showing that they are monitoring their impact, they are not a forever company. They will die in the next 10 years, for real and they are paid for that. They don't deserve their salary if they are not thinking holistically how they can reduce their impact and thinking holistically, it's about being sure that they are employing the right sustainability teams. That they are working with the best suppliers as possible, who are less impactful for the environment.
Working holistically is about monitoring and, yes, having a technology strategy, a tech stack strategy when it comes to their sustainability matters, so this is when Sweep comes, but others as well. I'm not just talking about Sweep and fortunately, there is other vendors because we have to map the world at the end of the day.
So, the task is vertiginous and hopefully there is so much room for so many vendors, but the most important thing is that, our responsibility today in this maturing market, in these early days market is being sure that we are doing our job to educate those CEOs as much as possible and to answer the educated ones the right way. Not bullshitting them on what we are able to do and being sure we are science-based and we are data-driven, but science-based [crosstalk – 00:32:03].
Chris Wedding:
For sure. I like this notion of a forever company.
Rachel Delacour:
This is all right.
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, it's not a common question or a common goal, I think, in the US. You also made the comment that there is room for many vendors like you providing similar services. That's an important point where I think about a pitch to an investor, and you say, “Oh, well, here's how great we are and by the way, here is the competitive landscape. We would typically show similar companies, big startup, whatever.” But the reality is, I think so much of what companies like you are competing against is not each other, maybe a little bit, but really, you're competing against business as usual of doing nothing.
32:51
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah. My biggest competitor today, it's Excel Sheets still. It's consultants who are doing a yearly job to assess carbon footprints and try to think about reduction from Reduction Act initiatives, or it’s internal business intelligence. Some companies are doing already great things with that combo, with that bundle of tools, but now it's about tracking progress.
When it was all about providing a yearly carbon footprint, this is where I stand in terms of emissions, but now it's about, show me how you are reducing your emissions because you must be aligned on the Paris Agreement, so where do you stand? I can’t do that exercise on a frequent basis because consultants are so expensive. Excel Sheets, actually I have some black box. It's super difficult for me to navigate in those Excel Sheets and my internal BI, yes, it's super difficult to go outside of my internal borders because I can't reach my suppliers.
So, in 2022, with what the regulations is asking, with what the world needs, of course you need a technology who’s able to go outside of the borders of a company to chase suppliers. Who is able to automate on a regular basis. At Saint-Gobain, for example, the carbon footprints are done on a monthly basis because what is being done today for everything related to financial data must be done for extra financial data at the same pass.
But when you are now asking the large companies who are so sophisticated, so complex at a global scale, when you're asking them to do that exercise on a monthly basis, of course we understand that they are completely lost, it's so complex. So, this is where they need to think also about modernizing their business. It's about modernizing their business, modernizing the way they are addressing their extra financial data and this is where those new platforms that I am part of with Sweep, yeah, this is where we are coming. But we are also helped with consultants who are bringing much more qualitative.
Finally, those guys, they are not spending time in Excel Sheets. Oh, guys, we are taking care of it. We are automating it. We are applying the best rules as possible to make it at scale. Now, just concentrate yourself on helping the customers to make the best decision from a qualitative standpoint on the kind of new material you could use, or eco-packaging, that kind of thing. But we still have to work all together, definitely, but let's work much more smartly.
Chris Wedding:
For sure. Okay, last five minutes, let's move from Sweep to Rachel. So, some questions for you, as we all think about our growth, what advice might you give your younger self, Rachel, to be more productive, more effective, et cetera?
Rachel Delacour:
It's a marathon. It's so long to make something successful. The problem is that we are all reading the tech press and the tech news, et cetera, where you are seeing successful companies, success who happened overnight, “Oh wow, they raised this, an acquisition after only two years,” and this is just exceptional. This is not the reality of 99% of companies out there. So, that's normal to be in a marathon. It's long, it's long to refine, to nail a good product, to nail a good story, to assemble a good team, to execute the right way. So, just be ready for the marathon.
37:01
I'm so glad to have built that first company because even if it was a six to seven years company life, I would say before the acquisition, still, when you are in it, it’s so long and so hard and so painful because you are having so much slap in your face. At the end of the day, we've been acquired by Zendesk, it was a fantastic acquisition. Hyper elegant acquisition. I love that, but still, building a business, it's super hard. Yeah, just be ready for the—
Chris Wedding:
Be ready for the marathon.
Rachel Delacour:
Yeah, I don't want to discuss new entrepreneur or else, but this is the reality. There is nothing beautiful that is coming from something done very quickly.
Chris Wedding:
Right. All great things take effort for sure. How about, what are some habits or routines that keep you healthy, sane and focused?
Rachel Delacour:
You will be super disappointed. I'm not that kind of an entrepreneur who has lots to say on that. I'm super basic. I try to have regular nap in the middle of the day, this has helped me a lot. And after that, my little pleasure, I love the routine of being at home. This is why I love my remote -- We are a remote first company at Sweep and I love my lifestyle.
I live on the beach and I love to bring my kids every day, every morning at school. I love to feed them at the end of the day at school. For me, that routine is super important and I don't want to travel anymore. I've done that too much and for me, the routine with your kids, family, it's something that is helping you a lot to stay grounded, on the ground.
Chris Wedding:
Yeah. No, it's well said. I resonate with that.
Rachel Delacour:
No, I don't have like many entrepreneurs’ tips. I'm always ashamed to not have that recipe. I think that I am a bad person because I don't have that list. I'm not doing gym at all. I'm living in Hossegor, close to Biarritz in the southwest of France. I should be surfing every day. I'm not. I'm bad at it. I'm cold when I am in the cold water.
Chris Wedding:
I won't tell anybody.
Rachel Delacour:
I'm always admiring those entrepreneurs who are writing books about their habits and stuff like that. That's great, but I have seen more than very simple things. I think simple is beautiful actually.
Chris Wedding:
Simple is beautiful. Totally agree. How about a recommendation or two for a book or a podcast do you think listeners should pick up?
Rachel Delacour:
Of course, IPCC reports definitely when you want to ramp up your knowledge on climate change, et cetera, but I'm a very loyal person. I have few readings I would say, but I'm waiting every week in my mailbox for the Farnam Street Digest. I'm listening to the podcast of Shane, it contains timeless ideas. This is the baseline, and I really love that digest of Farnam Street.
40:28
My best entrepreneur ever that I am such a fan of, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson from Basecamp. I've been reading their books. The first book I've read, the first one they've released. I now receive the email from Jason Fried when he's writing it. Yeah, big, big fan of those guys.
It's important also when you are seeing an entrepreneur, being fan of an entrepreneur and sticking to reading their content on a regular basis, you can also see how they are changing or they are evolving. Instead of list of stuff, seeing how they are evolving also, I think for me, this is the best learning. This is what is impressing me the most.
We are lucky to have Tony Fadell, the co-inventor of the iPhone, iPod in our cap table. He invested in Sweep and he recently wrote a book called Build and it's full of great advice for entrepreneurs, creators, how you are building it. Then from a business standpoint, Ray Dalio, Principles, it's a bible.
I come from the visualization, data world, so Edward Tufte a beautiful evidence book and all what Edward Tufte has been doing is great. I was looking at my library, what I am always reading and there are two other books that are not really for entrepreneurs, but I'm a big fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor. That guy, I really invite you to read the biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's coming from nowhere in Austria, in Europe and think about the career he had.
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, true.
Rachel Delacour:
This is incredibly crazy.
Chris Wedding:
Yeah, it really is.
Rachel Delacour:
Just crazy. I'm a big fan of Arnold and I am also reading his book that I am regularly referring to, it's Brain Rules for Baby. You have your own startups at home, your kids and it's also a way to try to better understand them, to try to optimize them as much as you can. The more you are understanding how they are building their brains, from zero to six, at some point, if there is some science as well in it and it's super interesting. So, yeah, definitely reading this book, it's great when you are young parents. You are not raising a robot, but there are some interesting things out of it.
Chris Wedding:
For sure. Science-based business, science-based parenting, love it. Hey, that's a generous list of books and podcasts. Awesome, Rachel. Well, tell you what, we're at time, unfortunately. Hey, love what you're up to at Sweep. Wishing for you-all's continued success and we'll be sharing the story widely.
Rachel Delacour:
Thank you. Merci beaucoup, Chris. Thank you to your audience as well. Merci.
Chris Wedding:
Hear, hear.
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44:33
Finally, if you're a growth stage climate CEO looking for a confidential peer group to share best practices, expand your network and scale your business, then please apply to join our Climate Mastermind programs at Entrepreneurs for Impact where our current amazing members have created over $4 billion in company value to mitigate climate change. Until next time, keep on fighting those good fights.
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We talk about #ClimateTech #Startups #VentureCapital #Productivity and #Leadership.
And we’ve become one of the top 3% most popular podcasts in the world.
Why do climate innovators love us?
Because of our inspiring guests — dozens of climate tech CEOs, founders, and investors that are raising or investing tens of millions of dollars and removing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.
Why should you listen?
To start, grow, and invest in businesses with impact, meaning, and profit.
Learn about our guests’ career paths, founder stories, business strategies, investment criteria, growth challenges, hard-earned wisdom, productivity habits, life hacks, favorite books, and lots more.
Who is the host?
Dr. Chris Wedding is a 4x founder, 4x Board member, climate CEO peer group leader and coach, Duke & UNC professor, ex-private equity investor, ex-investment banker, podcast host, newsletter author, occasional monk, Japanophile, ax throwing champ, father of three, and super humble guy (as evidenced by this long bio). 😃
Learn more here:
Climate CEO peer group community: www.entrepreneursforimpact.com
2-minute newsletter: https://entrepreneursforimpact.substack.com
DIY course about startup capital raising (170 slides, 70-item library, 250-investor list): https://t.ly/QCcl5