Propeller

Accelerating ocean-climate companies.
Investment partners @DrOceanJulie, @rigomundo, @reece, @bhalligan, @devdutt, Steven Fox.
Strategic partner: @whoi

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

Excited to share that @rigomundo has joined Propeller as our Managing Partner. His experience in #climate focused #venturecapital and public policy spans more than 20 years. Rodrigo joins us from @amazon where he cofounded their $2Bn @climatepledge Fund.. https://t.co/quiNkdLDM9

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

#DE4CEV #DisciplinedEntrepreneurship #ClimateEntrepreneurship

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

Calling all hashtag#earlystage hashtag#climatetech hashtag#founders and founders to be! Get yourself on that pre-order list for Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate & Energy Ventures: 24 Steps to Build Solutions for People and the Planet. Order here! https://t.co/3HCsashtaR

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

And make a point to get to know some of the amazing founders and their startups featured in the book -- sharing their lessons learned so that each successive wave of founders can create greater impact, faster. Pre-order here! >> https://t.co/3HCsashtaR

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

Our founder @bhalligan wrote a tome of a post on "literally everything" he learned on his journey with @HubSpot. Immediate must-read for CEOs out there. https://t.co/5mHE6HnLz1

[1000 Ocean Startups @1000OS_org]

“Propeller's inaugural fund illustrates how investors and governments are becoming increasingly interested in #OceanTech & the #BlueEconomy”

🌊👏ICYMI, 1000OS member @PropellerOcean recently unveiled its portfolio of investments into 14 #ocean companies!
https://t.co/bgLUKwIKiY

[Techonomy @techonomy]

Techonomy Climate #SpeakerSpotlight: @DrOceanJulie
@DrOceanJulie is an oceanographer + meteorologist working on #climateresilience + #solutions. She is the founding Partner + Chief Scientist with ocean #climate solutions #VC fund @PropellerOcean.
https://t.co/KpjwfUxpct

[Rodrigo Prudencio 🇧🇴 🇺🇸 @rigomundo]

Excited to share this story about one of the @PropellerOcean companies. Another in our basket of consequential CO2 removal technologies.

https://t.co/vQEiUse2wW

[Activate @activatefellows]

Activate has a new partnership with @CommerceGov and @NOAA. With this investment and our partner, @PropellerOcean, we will empower entrepreneurs and innovations advancing ocean-based climate resilience.

More: https://t.co/4OW2mElp3J

[Julie Pullen @DrOceanJulie]

This week I shared my experiences at #COP28 and the growing power of the #OceanPavilion. The collective effort led by @kramakrishna247 @PdeMenocal @Leinen4ocean @WHOI @Scripps_Ocean + all the partners was a tremendous gift to the world. It represents a huge boost for our oceans as the planetary climate crisis unfolds in increasingly nonlinear and stark ways. @PropellerOcean
https://t.co/1c4TMx97yW

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

🧵5/5 Read more about the Ocean Declaration and the partners leading this work in the full release available at: https://t.co/Fg2BkKNyEh

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

🧵1/5 Propeller is proud to join more than 45 leading ocean science, policy, and philanthropy organizations around the world, calling for ocean-focused solutions to combat climate change... #OceanPavilion #ForOurBluePlanet #UniteActDeliver

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

🧵4/5
🔬Scale up observations & science to address climate impacts on marine ecosystems

🪸Increase capacity for island nations and developing countries to account for the ocean’s role in stabilizing the climate...

[Ocean Frontier Institute @OceanFrontier]

Exciting news! @DrOceanJulie has joined our Excellence, Impact and Engagement Committee. 🎉

Utilizing her remarkable scientific background, Dr. Pullen invests in climate tech startups through @PropellerOcean & advises the financial sector on climate risk.
https://t.co/XtlxLRWtTu

[Brian Halligan @bhalligan]

The SVB, FTX, and OpenAI debacles have proven that boards are underrated.  Here are some things I’ve learned about building boards from @HubSpot that I hope might help other founders.

1. VC’s “can be” excellent board members.  Yes, they are self-interested, but their interests very likely align with the founders’ interests.  They are on several other boards so have legit experience in the job.  …Btw, if @JoshuaKushner and @VKhosla were on OpenAI’s board, I can’t imagine @Sama getting fired like that.
2. HubSpot’s Series A and B investors had board seats.  Both of them were both former CEO’s and their mentorship of me as a first time CEO was exceptionally helpful.  …Try to find vc’s who have been operators, if you can.
3.  Good independent board members are worth their weight in gold.  Gail Goodman was our first.  She taught us a lot about scaling a business in those board meetings.  She also would tamper the vc’s in the board meetings if they got too aggressive with me.
4.  Don’t hire “press release independent board members.”  Don’t hire former politicians, former secretaries of _____, movie stars, or athletes.  …Elizabeth Holmes fell into this tempting trap.
5.  Avoid hiring independents who have only worked at XYZ giant company — they won’t understand the mountain you are trying to climb after spending their whole career on top of that mountain.  
6.  Given what we’ve all seen with OpenAI, it’s obvious, but you want independent board members with experience.  I might be wrong, but if Reid Hoffman were still on their board, I can’t imagine it would have shaken out this way.  Sometimes a lack of experience can be overcome with raw brains and first principled thinking in a senior hire, but not when hiring an independent board member.
7.  Build a good board and don’t worry about “retaining control.”  They “should” have the right to fire you.  That accountability is healthy for you and your company.  Trust me, the last thing “an experienced” set of board members wants to do is fire the ceo/founder and if they do, it will be after lots of feedback over a long period of time.  …If they fire you, in a very very high percentage of cases, it was probably the right thing for your company. 
8.  Board members should act like grandparents, not parents.  If they act like parents, they are too involved.  
9.  Every year, you should run an anonymous 360 review of each board member (including yourself).  That feedback should be delivered by you and your expectation should be that they work on the feedback they got, even the vc’s.  Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
10.  As the ceo/chairperson of your board, you “can” replace a board member.  We had one of our vc board members replaced by a different partner from that same fund who was a better fit.  Be careful when doing this, though.
11. You should replace independents when your company outgrows them.  They should see it coming through the 360 reviews.

Sam Bankman Fried and Elizabeth Holmes would have likely been fired if they had a proper board, but wouldn’t be in prison.

Sam Altman would have avoided this major headache if he had a proper board.

Sent from my iPhone

[Brian Halligan @bhalligan]

.@PropellerOcean is gaining momentum!!

[Propeller @PropellerOcean]

@drpaulabontempi @URIGSO @Scripps_Ocean @UHawaii @OSUCEOAS Excited to collaborate with you!

[Paula Bontempi @drpaulabontempi]

@URIGSO is thrilled to join @Scripps_Ocean @uhawaii SOEST and @OSUCEOAS in partnering with @PropellerOcean to catalyze ocean #climatesolutions together 🌎