Gorilla Hard

What if sustainability isn’t the selling point? In this episode, we sit down with Carly Schonberg, NYC Chapter Leader and product designer leading a renewable energy company, to dig into the uncomfortable truth: climate isn’t always the top motivator for business. Her work shows that when renewable energy is framed as solving real problems (financial, operational, human) it becomes impossible to ignore.

Marc and Carly get into why design isn’t just pixels on a screen, but the bridge between problems and solutions. Designers decide how people interact with a product, how it functions, and most importantly, why people care. Carly challenges the status quo: Why is design treated as an afterthought in climate companies? Why aren’t we rethinking “best practices” when the stakes are this high?

From behavioral science to primitive needs, the two unpack how design can shake things up, help us communicate better, and move people toward change without ever once mentioning “sustainability.” The takeaway? If you want people to act, meet them at their pain points, not your ideals.

Homework for listeners: try to sell a sustainable product without using the word “sustainable.”