He Raised $350M to Rent Roofs: The 1 Sales Rule That Built It | Ep. 394 with John Witchel CEO & Co-Founder of King Energy

He Raised $350M to Rent Roofs: The 1 Sales Rule That Built It | Ep. 394 with John Witchel CEO & Co-Founder of King Energy

From Founder's Story by IBH Media

May 4, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 394

About this episode

Daniel Robbins interviews John Witchel about the evolving solar market and innovative business models in energy.

Daniel Robbins interviews John Witchel, CEO and co founder of King Energy, on why solar did not “lose,” it simply needed the right business model. John breaks down the split incentive problem in multi tenant buildings and how King Energy solves it by renting rooftops from landlords and selling power to tenants at a discount. They also unpack why solar and batteries are now cheaper than fossil fuels, why energy price increases are forcing action, and how John built his 10th startup by speaking the customer’s language instead of selling ideology.

People in this episode

Host: Daniel Robbins

Guest: John Witchel

Topics covered

  • solar energy
  • business model
  • multi-tenant buildings
  • energy pricing
  • startups

Keywords

  • solar
  • King Energy
  • business model
  • energy prices
  • startups
  • rooftop rentals
  • batteries
  • fossil fuels

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: King Energy

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