The First Steps: Lessons, Challenges, and Insights

Motivation

My undergraduate studies in International Organizations and Global Governance shaped my strong interest in sustainability. Since coming to SIPA, I have increasingly realized that sustainable development is not just a grand vision but a process that requires tangible projects to drive real impact. Financing plays a crucial role in enabling these projects. That’s why I was drawn to the Sustainable Investing Research Consulting Project, as I believed it would lay a solid foundation for my future career.

When choosing a project, I wanted to challenge myself and push my limits. During my Energy Systems Fundamentals (ESF) course last semester, I learned about the significance of electricity markets in the energy sector. One of the project options was with a company specializing in electricity market price forecasting using its proprietary algorithm. I found this working model fascinating. When Professor Sara Minard introduced the project in our first class, she mentioned that it would be quite challenging, which only made me more eager to apply. I was incredibly fortunate to be selected.

I also deeply appreciate Sara’s encouragement and trust. I still remember her saying, “You must be brave to challenge yourself, and I trust all of you. Even if you don’t have prior experience, I believe you will all do a great job by the end of the project.” Her words resonated with me, and I am grateful for the opportunity she gave us all—to take on challenges, to grow, and to trust ourselves.

Project Scope & Progress

In the first two weeks, our team worked on understanding the project scope, defining our work plan, and setting clear objectives for the semester. We also scheduled a consultation with a professor specializing in Electricity Markets, which provided us with valuable insights. In addition, we established a structured weekly meeting schedule with our client and have already completed two productive discussions.

Challenges & Lessons Learned

1. Finding Focus in an Unstructured Project

At the beginning of the project, we all went through a confusing and overwhelming phase, trying to make sense of our direction. Narrowing down our focus was much harder than expected.

Our client gave us complete freedom in defining the final deliverable and fully respected our autonomy. While this flexibility was appreciated, it also meant there were no clear limits or predefined objectives, making it difficult to determine where to start. The topic of global market expansion was incredibly broad, and we initially felt lost.

To address this, we started conducting extensive research while actively engaging with the client. We worked to understand their business model, data requirements, and core concerns regarding market expansion. Eventually, we refined our scope to market entry analysis, identifying key market entry criteria and potential target markets. This process taught me the importance of structured problem-solving—starting broad, gathering relevant information, and methodically narrowing down to a concrete focus.

2. Understanding the Sustainability Impact of the Project

During a meeting with our professor, we realized that our project was missing a crucial sustainability component. At first, we struggled to see how our work fit under the sustainability umbrella because our client operates much like a traditional hedge fund, focusing on electricity market price forecasting.

After deeper discussions with the client, we discovered a key sustainability linkage: the existence of renewable energy generators in a market creates volatility and trading opportunities, which in turn makes price forecasting viable. This meant that our research needed to focus on markets with a strong renewable energy presence. Additionally, our client’s business actually supports the integration of more renewable energy generators by providing better price prediction mechanisms, ultimately benefiting the clean energy transition.

This realization was a turning point—it gave deeper meaning to our work and reinforced my belief that sustainable development is not just about large-scale policies but also about small businesses, innovative projects, and strategic financing decisions. Every effort, no matter how technical or niche, plays a role in pushing sustainability forward.

Collaboration & Communication

1. Working with My Teammates

I feel incredibly grateful for my teammates. Each person is dedicated, responsible, and proactive, making collaboration both efficient and enjoyable. Our discussions are always constructive and open, with everyone contributing ideas and supporting each other. This strong team dynamic has allowed us to stay ahead of deadlines and maintain steady progress. I truly look forward to working with them in the weeks ahead!

2. Learning to Communicate Effectively with Clients

One of my biggest takeaways so far came from a skills workshop I attended. During the workshop, we had multiple role-playing exercises to simulate real-world consulting scenarios, and one exercise left a deep impression on me.

In the final role-play session, our task was to convince a company’s VP and ESG manager to collaborate with us on an ESG initiative. However, my team had not done enough prior research, which made our conversation conversational rather than strategic. We lacked concrete arguments, and the discussion did not go as smoothly as we had hoped.

This experience taught me a crucial lesson: Always do your homework before client meetings.

Since then, I have made a conscious effort to research thoroughly before speaking with our client, and the results have been significant. It has not only improved my confidence but also made our discussions more efficient and insightful. I no longer worry about asking “stupid questions” because I know that the questions I bring to the table are well-informed and relevant.

Next Steps

Moving forward, our team aims to complete the initial global market research before the interim presentation. We will prioritize research based on the market entry criteria we have established and identify potential target markets. After midterms, we will conduct deeper analysis on specific markets based on our client’s evolving needs.

This project has already been an eye-opening and rewarding experience, and I am excited to see where our journey takes us next.