- Date published
Startup (& pivot) advice from Mark Treat.
For CocoSolar founder Mark Treat, entrepreneurship was a carefully planned transition decades in the making.
Mark knew early on that he wanted to own his own business. During his time in the Jaycees in his early 30s, the idea of entrepreneurship took hold, but practicality won out. Leaving a stable career in electric utilities didn’t yet make financial sense. Instead of abandoning the idea, he did what engineers do best: he planned.
At age 45, Mark developed a 10-year plan to “retire” at 55 and launch a solar business. As circumstances evolved, he realized that age 50 — not 55 — was the right moment to take the leap. With experience, industry knowledge, and a clear strategy in place, CocoSolar was born.
Building Utility-Scale Solar Solutions
Today, CocoSolar focuses on developing utility-scale solar projects, primarily in the 1 to 10 megawatt range. The company works closely with electric utilities, leveraging Mark’s deep background in the industry to help meet growing energy demands with renewable solutions.
That industry experience has shaped not only CocoSolar’s technical focus, but also his business philosophy, especially when it comes to managing risk.
Knowing the Offramp Before You Enter
Mark recalls a pivotal lesson from his time working in electric utilities. An executive with a background in energy marketing once said something that stuck: Never take a position without knowing your offramp.
He has applied the same logic to entrepreneurship.
“For me, starting a business meant being clear about how much money and time I was willing to invest before reassessing,” he said.
Before launching CocoSolar, Mark didn’t just think about what success would look like. He considered what could go wrong.
“Before you invest your time and energy in a business, consider as best you can what things could go wrong,” he advised. “Under what conditions will you reevaluate your strategy? Under what conditions would you consider business closure?”
From the beginning, Mark expected that CocoSolar would generate little to no revenue for the first 12 to 18 months. That expectation became part of the plan. Rather than panicking at the one-year mark, he committed to objectively evaluating the business’s viability if revenue hadn’t materialized by then.
“Most people would freak out if they went a year without revenue,” he said. “But because I expected it, I could stay rational and focused instead of emotional.”
Embracing the Pivot Point
Entrepreneurs often struggle with the moment when it’s time to pivot or at least reassess. For Mark, having a predefined “offramp” removed much of that fear. It allowed him to move forward confidently, knowing that reassessment wasn’t failure. Instead, it was part of the strategy.
That mindset continues to guide CocoSolar’s evolution.
When Mark started CocoSsolar three years ago, market conditions looked favorable. But circumstances shifted. The rise of data centers and changing political landscapes slowed the transition to solar. With those shifts came necessary adjustments to CocoSolar’s business strategy.
“Most small businesses will face challenges,” Mark said, “but considering when you will change your approach before you start will help you weather those challenges. This planning is beneficial even when you can’t know what those challenges will be.”
The alternative, he noted, is much harder.
“If you wait until you’re in the thick of problems to think about what might go wrong, it’s very hard psychologically.”
That upfront planning has paid dividends in peace of mind: “Personally, there have been zero days that I’ve regretted starting my small business, and that is priceless.”
A Thoughtful Path to Entrepreneurship
Mark’s journey is a reminder that with long-term planning, industry insight, and a clear understanding of risk, building a business can be a strategic — and sustainable — move.