#business #idea
# [[Epistemic status]] moderate conviction, high upside
#shower-thought #to-digest
# Related
- [[Ideation]]
- [[Start-up ideation]]
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## Start-up Idea: **PermitBoost** – “Rippling for Energy Project Permitting”
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## Problem/opportunity
Energy infrastructure (solar, wind, nuclear, transmission lines) dies in **red tape**: forms, studies, multi-agency approvals, legal challenges.
Permitting can delay or kill billion-dollar projects.
#### Can you state the problem clearly?
"Permitting delays are the biggest bottleneck in energy infrastructure deployment."
#### Have you experienced it yourself?
Indirectly—tracking grid issues and energy bottlenecks. Known pain for anyone touching infra.
#### Can you define the problem narrowly?
Yes. Automate permitting workflows for clean energy projects (starting with solar/wind sites).
#### Is it solvable?
Yes. RPA + AI + legal database + workflow engine = killer wedge.
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## Solution
SaaS that automates permit paperwork, tracks deadlines, coordinates approvals, and generates legal artifacts using AI. Think: DocuSign × Ironclad × Zapier, for energy devs.
#### Are you affected by [[the programmer syndrome]]?
No. This is a workflow hell with direct money/save time ROI.
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## Markets/customers/users
- Energy developers (solar, wind, geothermal, grid)
- Project finance firms
- EPC contractors
- Governments (as users or partners)
- Infra VCs/PE firms (for due diligence)
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## Why
- Popular: no—because it's painful
- Growing: yes, Biden + EU clean energy pushes
- Urgent: delaying projects = lost billions
- Expensive: permitting can eat 10–30% of project timeline and budget
- Mandatory: literally required to build anything
- [[Founder-market-fit]]: background in systems + geopolitics + RPA
- [[What's your unfair advantage?]]:
- Deep automation stack
- Understanding of bureaucratic systems
- Could bootstrap through consulting/partnerships
#energy-infrastructure
#automation