What would a Silicon Valley for waste look like?

We are all familiar with the awesome reputation of Silicon Valley as a hotbed of entrepreneurship. It is a classic example of the synergistic effects of an ecology of excellence growing up around an industry. Ideas attract brilliant minds attract venture capitalists.

More important, however, is the prevailing ethos that you have a crack. Trying and failing is better than never trying for fear of failing. Or trying to cover yourself against all risks before you begin. Business is risky. Good business people accept that, minimise their risks and then begin.

This sort of culture is sorely missed in waste management. It is a field that has managed to convince itself that it needs government support, that it is only able to succeed if it is big. An enormous risk averse edifice that grinds out incremental improvement only when led by the nose by government. An industry that leans heavily on public underwriting of private profits, and even then manages to get it wrong (no names here, of course).

Imagine if the norm in waste management was for entrepreneurs to get out there and start creating little eruptions of businesses. Or, more accurately, little disruptions. What might that look like?

You might see some very nimble companies focusing on serious product differentiation in otherwise bog standard markets. This would be great for customers. You would certainly see exciting solutions to avoid the capital intensive and largely monopolised landfill. Indeed, clever ideas would sidestep high capital requirements and barriers to entry across the board. I reckon you'd also end up with an ecosystem that drove landfill close to its deathbed.

A Silicon Valley of waste would emulate the start-up process for technology companies, starting as bare bones business that delight their customers, and growing into business that are so prevalent that you can't imagine the world without them. It would also provide the space for ideas to be tested and abandoned without disgrace.

To get to this point will be a tricky chicken and egg problem. Some sort of venture capital is required to get this off the ground, but that won't happen until there is a track record. And a track record is hard to achieve without funding. And, finally, brilliant minds are especially tricky to attract in the absence of a track record or funding.

I think it is a nut that can be cracked, and will be cracked by innovation in business models. I will blog on this in a later blog. I will also blog on what a constellation of small waste businesses might look like.

Thanks for following this tale, and I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have.