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In episode 158 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, Joshua Feinberg talks with Dan Lawrence, CEO and co-founder of OBM, about how a small Bitcoin mining side project turned into a global platform for energy flexibility

⚡. You’ll hear how remote management headaches led to an enterprise solution, why the real grid challenge is inflexible loads (not data centers), and how crypto mining and generative AI workloads are converging around shared power, siting, and margin pressures

🤝. Dan explains how co-locating AI factories and Bitcoin miners can smooth load profiles, how behind-the-meter wind projects and ERCOT’s controllable load resources change the energy game, and why the smartest operators now treat energy as a strategy—not just a cost

💡. You’ll also learn about new career paths at the intersection of data centers, power markets, and AI, plus emerging models for heat reuse, community impact, and storytelling with regulators and activists 🌱.

Ep. 158 Daniel Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of OBM | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

0:00 Coming up In this episode of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

0:54 Introducing Daniel Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder at OBM

1:14 Career Journey from Software Engineer at U.S. Department of Defense to Bitcoin Mining Software Startup

3:44 Remote Management of Small Bitcoin Mining Data Center

6:22 First Customer: One of Largest Publicly-Traded Bitcoin Miners (via Consultant Who Saw Reddit Crypto Bitcoin Mining Community Posts)

10:04 Convergence of Crypto Mining Entrepreneurs Into Generative AI Entrepreneurs (AI Factories)

13:31 Crypto Mining Power Pricing: Self-Hosting vs. Wholesale Data Center Developers vs. Colocation Data Center Operators

15:59 Bitcoin Miners Selling Excess Power for GPU AI Workloads

15:24 Bitcoin VCs for Capital-Intensive Buildouts ⇒ Crypto Operators That Want Load Flexibility

18:32 OBM Evangelizing Energy Optimization and Load Flexibility Within Bitcoin Mining and

Data Center Power Conferences

20:46 Bitcoin Mining Behind the Meter, Load Profiles, and Grid Load Flexibility (Example: Wind Farm with ERCOT TX Panhandle)

24:41 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

25:19 OBM Expansion into AI Factories/GenAI Workloads with Pause-less Energy Curtailment

29:08 Comparing Bitcoin Mining Entrepreneur vs. Data Center Entrepreneur/Investor Demographics

32:09 Entry-Level Career Options and the Power Grid Crisis in Crypto, Data Center, and Infrastructure Operator Companies

39:20 Biggest Crypto and AI Data Center Energy Optimization Mistakes with Fixed-Cost Mindset (vs. Load Flexibility as Revenue Driver)

41:41 Load Flexibility Energy Optimization Parallels with European Data Center Heat Reuse Startups

45:07 AI Data Center and Bitcoin/Crypto PR, Messaging, Narrative (And Educating Community Stakeholders on Flexing Grid Loads)

48:38 ERCOT Texas Grid Innovation (Batteries, Renewables: Wind and Solar; Weak Transmission System)

50:37 The Future of Growing a Flexible Load, Energy Management Software Business for Bitcoin and AI Factory Operators

55:11 Daniel Lawrence (Connect with on LinkedIn) and OBM (Follow on LinkedIn and OBM .io Website)

57:21 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

#aifactory #behindthemeter #bitcoinmining #cloudservices #colocation #criticalfacilities #crypto #datacenterenergy #datacentergtm #datacenterindustry #datacentermarketing #datacenterpower #datacenters #datacentersales #datacentersolutions #dcsmi #digitalinfrastructure #edge #energymanagement #energyoptimization #energystrategy #ercot #excesspower #gridflexibility #gridloads #heatreuse #hyperscale #infrastructure #loadflexibility #missioncritical #obm #powergrid #solarfarm #texasgrid #utiltygrid #windfarm

AI data centers, AI factories, behind the meter, Bitcoin mining, crypto mining, DCSMI, Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, Dan Lawrence, data center marketing, data center sales, data center strategy, demand response, energy flexibility, generative AI, grid flexibility, Joshua Feinberg, load flexibility, OBM, OBM energy software

https://www.dcsmi.com/newsletter Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

In episode 157 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, you’ll get ready to boost your data center strategy!

🚀 You’ll learn how to pinpoint your best-fit customers, shape standout buyer personas, and craft winning educational events that fill your sales pipeline.

Discover how leaders in sales, marketing, consulting, and energy efficiency can engage decision-makers, build trust, and position themselves as trusted advisors—all while maximizing growth and real results in today’s rapidly evolving data center landscape. 💡🏢🔥

Ep. 157 Joshua Feinberg, CEO of DCSMI | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

0:00 Coming up in this episode of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

1:16 Introducing Joshua Feinberg, CEO at DCSMI

3:45 Agenda for Data Center Go-to-Market, Sales, and Marketing Q&A 59

5:24 How a multi-tenant data center operator generates qualified leads

20:15 How to grow a data center consulting and engineering firm

31:56 How a data center, telecommunications, and technology company defines its primary focus

47:10 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

48:33 How a data center simulation and engineering firm can engage with the right decision makers

1:06:02 How a data center electrical and connectivity solutions provider wins new data center projects

1:17:51 How a data center energy efficiency consultancy generates new leads and clients

1:29:12 Joshua Feinberg (Connect with on LinkedIn) and DCSMI (Follow on LinkedIn and Website)

1:30:35 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

#cloudservices #colocation #connectivity #criticalfacilities #datacenterconsulting #datacenterengineering #datacenterenergy #datacentergtm #datacenterindustry #datacentermarketing #datacenteroperator #datacenterpower #datacenters #datacentersales #datacentersimulation #datacentersoftware #datacentersolutions #datacentertechnology #dcsmi #digitalinfrastructure #edge #hyperscale #infrastructure #missioncritical #mult-tenantdatacenter #telecommunications

https://www.dcsmi.com/newsletter Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

In episode 156 of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast, host Joshua Feinberg talks with Martin Renkis, Executive Director of Data Center Infrastructure at Johnson Controls, about how cooling as a service and behind-the-meter power help data center developers accelerate ROI, reduce risk, and move faster in a world of soaring rack densities and Gen AI workloads

🚀 You’ll hear real-world stories (including a bitcoin miner adding 50MW of Gen AI on top of 100MW of mining), learn how performance-based contracts with guaranteed KPIs and financial penalties actually work, and see why COOs, CFOs, and financially minded leaders are often the best champions for these projects

💼 Martin also shares practical advice on building trust with enterprise buyers, using conferences and panels for business development and career growth, and creating paths into the data center ecosystem for both early-career and mid-career professionals looking to pivot into this rapidly growing space 🌐

Ep. 156 Martin Renkis, Executive Director of Data Center Infrastructure of Johnson Controls | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

0:00 Coming up In this episode of the Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast

0:41 Introducing Martin Renkis, Executive Director of Data Center Infrastructure at Johnson Controls

1:09 Career Journey to Executive Director of Data Center Infrastructure at Johnson Controls

4:45 How Tech Founder Recruited Sophisticated Board Members and Private Equity to Build Toward Exit to Large Publicly-Held Company (Johnson Controls)

6:47 Helping Data Center Developers Accelerate ROI and Mitigate Risk (Cooling and Behind-the-Meter Power)

12:33 Ideal Data Center Cooling as a Service Clients (COOs, CFOs, Data Center Designers and Data Center Builders)

16:49 Building Trust and Brand Awareness with Data Center Cooling and Power Decision Makers

22:16 Advice on Entry-Level, Client-Facing Data Center Jobs

28:01 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

28:38 Mid-Career Pivots in the Data Center Industry

36:08 Data Center Conferences, Job Hunting, and Talent Poaching

38:31 Data Center Cooling as a Service (Decades of Infrastructure as a Service at Johnson Controls)

47:12 20 Year Data Center Cooling System in a 12-24 Month Nvidia GPU 1MW Rack Obsolescence Cycle

48:41 The Future of Leading the Data Center Infrastructure Business for a Company Like Johnson Controls

54:02 Martin Renkis (Connect with on LinkedIn) and Johnson Controls (Follow on LinkedIn and Website)

56:20 Subscribe to the Data Center Sales and Marketing Newsletter (DCSMI)

#1mwrack #behindthemeter #bitcoinmining #cloudservices #colocation #coolingasaservice #criticalfacilities #datacenterapps #datacentercooling #datacenterdevelolpers #datacentergtm #datacenterindustry #datacenterinfrastructure #datacenterjobs #datacentermarketing #datacenterpower #datacenters #datacentersales #datacentersolutions #dcsmi #dcim #digitalinfrastructure #edge #enterprisesales #genai #hyperscale #iaas #infrastructure #johnsoncontrols #liquidcooling #missioncritical #nvidiagpu