Kyle, Cofounder at Pencil Energy: Advize Career Interview

A journey from classical music to political science, punctuated by a storage facility management experience and a polling firm internship, led to a career as a California state auditor.

This role honed skills in structured thinking, data analysis, and report writing, demanding rigorous integrity and exhaustive investigation.

The work, described as mentally exhausting yet deeply rewarding, involved extensive document review, site visits, and rigorous testing.

The auditor developed deep subject matter expertise and valued the ability to quickly answer any question.

This path ultimately led to co-founding Pencil Energy, where the challenges of product-market fit and the relentless pursuit of creating something valuable are balanced by the thrill of testing ideas and making a difference.

The interview emphasizes the importance of persistence, creativity, proactive action ("ask for forgiveness, not permission"), and a love of learning as key to success in both auditing and entrepreneurship.

Aspiring auditors and founders alike will find valuable insights into navigating career paths and embracing the challenges ahead.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Kyle Brauer

Cofounder

Pencil Energy

UCLA - 2017

UCLA Anderson FEMBA, 2023 - MBA Degree

Political Science, American Studies

Government

Entrepreneurship and Business Owner

Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ, Transfer Student

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Career Path of a Cofounder at Pencil Energy

Kyle's career journey began with a detour from classical music to political science, a path punctuated by a "very humbling experience" managing a storage property and an internship at a polling firm. The California state auditor's office provided invaluable skills in "digging into the documentation" and understanding government operations, before an MBA and a pivot to co-founding Pencil Energy marked a transition into entrepreneurship.

Career Path of a Cofounder at Pencil Energy

Main Responsibilities Of An Auditor At State Auditor

Kyle's main responsibilities as an auditor involved "structured thinking with a high degree of creativity," analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to draw conclusions from incomplete evidence and writing comprehensive reports. This role, crucial to improving government operations, demanded rigorous integrity and an exhaustive approach, as Kyle emphasizes "taking shortcuts will never serve them," reflecting a commitment to the mission of improving government for the public.

Main Responsibilities Of An Auditor At State Auditor

A Day In The Life Of An Auditor At The California State Auditor

A day as a state auditor is "mentally exhausting," involving extensive document review ("legislation that created a program," "city council minutes"), site visits to gather information through interviews ("peppering them with questions"), and rigorous testing to compare findings against legal requirements. The process culminates in report writing, subject to managerial review, resulting in a highly credible document ("virtually everything exactly as written as true").

A Day In The Life Of An Auditor At The California State Auditor

Most Important Skills For A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

Kyle, a cofounder at Pencil Energy and former auditor, highlights persistence and creativity as crucial skills, noting that "you have to work around people who make your life hard." This involves creatively investigating information, accepting that "what people say is not complete or accurate," and focusing on "creating value" by finding faster, cheaper, and more efficient solutions—a skillset transferable to both auditing and founding a company.

Most Important Skills For A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

Favorite Parts Of Being An Auditor

Kyle, Cofounder at Pencil Energy, found the most rewarding aspect of their auditing career was developing deep subject matter expertise, describing the feeling as "almost like when in a conversation with a friend and you start talking about a hobby that you know so well". This allowed for confident participation in progress meetings and a "quick back and forth ability to answer any question," showcasing the growth and mastery achieved through dedicated work.

Favorite Parts Of Being An Auditor

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

Kyle's most significant challenge as an auditor was navigating the steep learning curve mid-audit, facing pressure to answer executive questions with incomplete information ("a lot of I don't knows"). As a founder, the biggest hurdle is determining product-market fit—a "dogged pursuit" of creating something people will actually pay for, a challenge complicated by the subjective nature of customer feedback.

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Energy Industry As A Cofounder

As an auditor, Kyle enjoyed staying "extremely up to date with public policy," anticipating how policy shifts impacted audits. Now, as a founder, Kyle relishes "testing stuff" and making a difference, viewing company building as both a business and "social action."

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Energy Industry As A Cofounder

What Type Of Person Thrives In Startups According To A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

Kyle, Cofounder at Pencil Energy, highlights the contrasting traits needed for success in different roles: auditors need "unlimited patience for technicalities and detail," while founders must "love the journey," embracing the "grind" of constant iteration and relentless sales efforts, accepting that "what matters are not your ideas, they're the good ideas."

What Type Of Person Thrives In Startups According To A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

What A Cofounder At Pencil Energy Wishes They Knew Before Entering Startups

Kyle, a cofounder at Pencil Energy and former auditor, advises aspiring auditors to be proactive in seeking "the types of projects or policy areas" they find interesting, as "you have agency in what kind of projects you can work on." For aspiring founders, Kyle stresses the importance of taking the leap early, noting that "the older we get, the more our responsibilities increase," making entrepreneurial pursuits more challenging.

What A Cofounder At Pencil Energy Wishes They Knew Before Entering Startups

Significant Career Lesson From A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

A significant career lesson learned by Kyle, Cofounder at Pencil Energy, is the importance of "ask for forgiveness, not permission," particularly valuable in American business culture. This approach, involving proactive action and follow-through, has proven far more effective than passively waiting for approvals, a lesson learned from prior experience as an auditor and now integral to success as a founder.

Significant Career Lesson From A Cofounder At Pencil Energy

College Experiences That Helped a Cofounder at Pencil Energy Succeed

Kyle's six-year undergraduate journey, encompassing diverse fields like music and environmental studies, highlights the value of exploring various interests ("I tried a bunch of things"). This experimentation, coupled with developing a love for learning ("learning to love learning"), ultimately proved foundational to Kyle's success as a cofounder at Pencil Energy.

College Experiences That Helped a Cofounder at Pencil Energy Succeed

Advizer Personal Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebrauer/