At Innovation Zero, the ideas were big but often buried in complexity. Through conversations, polling, and a few well-placed stickers, we uncovered what’s holding ambitious ventures back. It’s something we think about a lot. Innovation Zero gave us five sharp reminders.
At Innovation Zero, we saw what happens when ambition meets ingenuity. From clean hydrogen to smart logistics, the ideas on show were bold, urgent, and at times, hard to decipher.
Armed with our trusty chart and some stickers, we asked attendees and exhibitors to share their thoughts on first impressions in the sector. Nearly nine out of ten agreed that climate tech propositions often feel overly complex at first glance.
That matched our own experience: once we got talking, the value behind the technology became much clearer.
We left inspired, and with a few reflections. Not just on the innovations themselves, but on what it takes to make them understood, remembered, and supported. Here are five things we took away.
1. Great tech needs great storytelling
The ideas we encountered were often genuinely game-changing. But you wouldn’t always know it from the first pitch. Too many were wrapped in acronyms, trapped in technicality, or trying to speak to everyone at once.
It’s not about dumbing things down. It’s about making the value clear, fast, especially for people who don’t know the sector inside out. When we asked founders to walk us through what their product actually does, why it matters, and who it helps, the real magic came through. That’s the story your audience needs to hear.
2. The ‘so what?’ must come early
In our informal survey, the top challenge scaleups highlighted was explaining complex ideas to diverse audiences. In other words, nailing the pitch.
The reality is, people are busy. Whether you’re speaking to investors, partners, or buyers, clarity is what gets attention and builds credibility. It’s a tough balance to strike, but the strongest communicators led with the problem, not the product. That shift alone made a huge difference to how their story landed.
3. Internal alignment builds external credibility
Several times, we heard different team members describe the same product in very different ways. That’s natural when you’re moving fast but it’s a risk.
Inconsistency weakens trust. And in a space where trust drives funding, adoption, and advocacy, that matters. Getting everyone on the same page about what you do, how you talk about it, and who it’s for, is a foundational step – not a finishing touch.
4. Simplicity isn’t the enemy of substance
One founder we spoke to apologised mid-conversation: “Sorry, I’m oversimplifying here.” But what followed was the clearest, most compelling version of their pitch we’d heard.
Too often, simplicity gets mistaken for shallowness. But it’s the opposite: it takes real clarity to distil something complex without losing its substance. The goal isn’t to say less, it’s to say what matters, more clearly.
5. The best conversations happen when people stop pitching
Innovation Zero reminded us that real clarity rarely comes from the deck alone. It comes from conversation, from asking and listening, probing and reframing.
That’s something we love doing. Helping brilliant people turn what they know instinctively into a story others can instantly get. One that shows not just what they’ve built, but why it matters and to whom.
READ MORE: Why a ‘product marketing’ mindset is key to growth >>