Episode Details

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Leanne Ramage, Managing Director of Kudo Software — a renewable energy software company that helps manage projects and people across wind farms, solar farms, battery storage and pumped hydro.

Leanne didn't plan to lead a company. She didn't plan to stay in renewables after her PhD. She didn't plan for most of what's happened. What she did was take each opportunity that appeared in front of her — and that approach, combined with what she describes as an almost inconvenient stubbornness, has brought her here.

In 2023, she and her co-founders spun Kudo out of Natural Power Consultants, backed by the Fred Olsen Group. They launched with 20 people. They're now 25. And they're in year two of actually selling their product to market.

We cover:

- What Kudo Software does and which sectors it serves

- The spinout model: different from a startup in important ways — and harder in others

- What she'd do differently (smaller team, established product first)

- What she's learned about herself: stubbornness as a strength, and being annoyed at herself for not liking being uncomfortable

- The first rejection — getting to the final two and losing on referenceability

- Fred Olsen, 97-year-old blue sky thinker and unlikely early champion

- The day of graduation she turned down two good options to "play at being a scientist for a few more years"

- The juggle: retired parents on the school run, a husband who doesn't travel, and airport teddies

- Why women in STEM is still not changing — and the frustration that comes with not knowing how to fix it

- The playlist song: Cheerleader by OMI, and the reason it will always mean something

**Quote of the episode:** *"I don't think you should be worried about failure. All you're doing is making yourself more marketable."* — Leanne Ramage

If you're thinking about taking a big leap — or you're deep in year one or two and wondering if it's going to come good — this one's for you.