James Clear’s bestseller ‘Atomic Habits’ introduced the concept of the “Plateau of Latent Potential” to explain why we often get discouraged when trying to learn a new skill or form a new habit. Progress feels frustratingly slow at first, then suddenly breaks through to visible results.
This same pattern applies to building maritime clean technology companies. Progress at the start is usually slow and not immediately obvious. Technology that looks promising in the lab can face months or even years of adaptation before delivering the results that everyone expected much sooner.
It might feel like you’ve hit a plateau just before a major breakthrough. The key is to recognise that this apparent stagnation is more often a signal of success rather than failure, and keep pushing ahead until results become visible. Understanding this pattern can help you navigate the journey more effectively.
Three ways to reach visible results faster
Here are three strategies to accelerate your path through the plateau:
Key in stakeholders from the earliest stages. Bring key stakeholders along from the beginning. The more unfamiliar and novel your technology, the greater the need to educate and create awareness. Valuable feedback loops develop only when there’s a certain level of familiarity with what you’re building.
Trial at sea or in port ecosystems. Deploy your technology in the maritime environment at the earliest possible instance. Requirements for maritime applications are vastly different from land-based ones. Real-world maritime testing reveals challenges that no amount of theoretical planning can anticipate.
Test things in parallel. Maximise pilot opportunities by testing multiple elements simultaneously when possible—whether that’s technical components, alternative materials, or key assumptions and approaches. Parallel testing accelerates learning and helps identify the most promising ways forward.
