Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now by John Doerr
Rating: 5-Star
Date read:
🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences
- John Doerr OKRs for investing to solve for the climate crisis
- Examples of portfolio companies / inspiring people that have taken action into this problem
- Overview from a high level problem definition, into the individual steps taken by companies and startups to solve for it
🎨 Impressions
Content of the book is very good. And the way that it is structured is good for understanding the different industries that need to be tackled in order to solve for the climate crisis.
At times, it discusses topics that are not directly related to climate and it makes the argument that is related. And this might be true but I think it takes away from the strength of the argument, and can turn slightly political. While I agree that certain topics are extremely important for our society to thrive (like access to education) it takes the focus out of climate change and it opens the door for political figures to simply put climate change with other un-related social topics that can be controversial. In turn, slowing the speed with which we can tackle this problem.
Overall the book is good, but John’s style of narrating makes it feel long and slightly boring. Good content, but that could’ve been delivered better.
The best parts of the book is just the OKR that drive focus for action.
How I Discovered It
I read John’s previous book. Measure what matters. And it was a good book, also very good content that perhaps could have been delivered more effectively. I decided to read it because I want to understand more about the climate crisis and the efforts currently on the way to solve for it.
Who Should Read It?
If you are interested into how the private sector (particularly the Venture Capital part of it) is organizing actions agains climate change, then this would be a good book for you. But you can probably get all or most of all the important information by checking a summary.
☘️ How the Book Changed Me
- Made me understand more the different elements that need to be tacked
- Also puts, once again, into perspective the low success rate of start-ups
- And made me understand that the one thing that makes a start up is its willingness to make big bets
- Even when there really is no need (or arguably doesn’t require it)
✍️ My Top 3 Quotes
- Again → Ideas are easy, execution is everything
- You need a simple 3 step plan
- If your plan cannot be simply summarised and communicated like this. Then it is either too broad, or you haven’t understood it enough
📒 Summary + Notes
I’m going to list here some OKRs and sectors that the books gives and tackles. Which is the largest amount of value it provides:
- Electrify transport
- Price → EV achieve price-performance parity with new combustion engine vehicles
- Cars → one of two new personal vehicles are EV. Worldwide
- Buses and Trucks
- Miles
- Planes
- Maritime
- Decarbonize the grid
- Zero Emissions
- Solar and wind
- Storage
- Coal and Gas
- Methane emissions
- Heating and cooking
- Clean economy
- Fix food
- Farm soils
- Fertilizers
- Consumption
- Rice
- Food waste
- Protect Nature
- Forests
- Oceans
- Lands
- Clean up industry
- Steel
- Cement
- Other industries
- Remove Carbon
- Nature based removal
- Engineered removal
- Win politics and policy
- Commitments
- Power
- Transportation
- Buildings
- Industry
- Carbon Labeling
- Leaks
- Subsidies
- Price on Carbon
- Global Bans
- Government R&D
- Turn movements into Action
- Voters
- Government
- Business
- Transparency
- Operations
- Education Equity
- Health Equity
- Economic Equity
- Innovate
- Batteries
- Electricity
- Green Hydrogen
- Carbon removal
- Carbon-neutral Fuels
- Invest
- Financial incentives
- Government R&D
- Venture Capital
- Project Financing
- Philanthropic Investing