要像对金子一样对员工

    托德•佩德森22岁时就从杨百翰大学（Brigham Young University）退学开办了自己的公司。他创办的这家公司最先是一家与虫害防治公司合作的营销公司，但很快便发展成为一家家庭安全服务企业。

    佩德森在家庭自动化领域、最终在住宅太阳能技术上发现了别人看不到的机遇。由他创办的家庭自动化服务公司Vivint在上述领域为所有家庭提供全面的服务。Vivint公司能源部门与业主们签订了电力采购协议，也就是说，业主们无需花费一分钱就可在自家屋顶安装太阳能电池板，而Vivint公司利用这些太阳能为他们供应电能，业主们也能享受到更低廉的电＋。

    佩德森所遵循的理念是：“绿色能源固然好，但也必须经济可行。”现年45岁的佩德森工作和生活都在犹他州的普洛佛。以下是《财富》杂志对他的专访。

    1．哪些替代能源项目最让你感到兴奋？

    这方面我唯一真正了解的是Vivint Solar。这是一个可行的产品。太阳能是极好的资源，但它在北美的渗透率低得难以置信。发展太阳能上行机会巨大，我们部署太阳能的方式也物美价廉。我们正在利用税收抵免，同时也在不断提高部署太阳能电池板的经济能力，以便真正获得低廉能源带来的好处。在这之前，大多数人没有这个选择（因为在屋顶上安装太阳能电池板相当昂贵），但现在住宅太阳能产业发展起来了，像我们这类公司会提供越来越好的服务。

    2．你得到过的最好的建议是什么？

    我从大学辍学的时候，父母非常担忧。我爸爸特地开车到犹他州，问我到底发生了什么事。我告诉他，我有了一个开公司的好主意。我说的非常简单，我爸爸却跟我说：“你想开公司，首先，你要为顾客提供力所能及的最好服务；其次，要像对待金子一样对待你的员工；最后，要相信其它一切都会水到渠成。”

    3．如果没有从事现在的工作，你会做什么？

    我很可能正想方设法在这里（Vivint公司）找到一份工作。将来某个时候，可能在10到15年后，等到我把这些事情都做完了，或者什么时候我对这个行业感到厌倦了，我想去教授商业和创业课程。

    4．你取得的最大成就是什么？

    我想，我最大的成就是在职业上获得了相当大的成功。但我最终认识到，它只是一份工作而已，不会让我与别人有什么不同。然而，我也一直在努力通过生意上的成功来保持脚踏实地。我的公司市值20亿美元，但当初，我就是在一个拖车里创立了它。这么多年中，我与一起工作的同事们保持着非常好的关系。对我来说，最终这些才是真正重要的。

    When Todd Pedersen was 22, he dropped out of college at Brigham Young University to start his own company. What began as a marketing firm that worked with pest control companies quickly evolved into a home security business.

    Pedersen saw additional opportunity in the realm of home automation, and, eventually, residential solar technology. His company, which came to be called Vivint, now offers all of these services for the home. Vivint's energy management division operates under a power purchaser agreement with home owners. In other words, customers pay no money down to put panels on their roofs, Vivint uses the solar energy to become a power supplier, and the customer enjoys the benefit of a cheaper power bill every month.

    Pedersen follows the philosophy that, "Green is good, but it has to be economically viable." Pedersen, 45, lives and works in Provo, Utah. He spoke with Fortune.

    1. Which alternative energy projects are you most excited about?

    The only one I can really speak to is Vivint Solar. It's a viable product. Solar is an incredible resource, and in North America it's incredibly under-penetrated. There's tremendous upside opportunity, and the way we're deploying it, it's affordable. We're utilizing tax credit, but we're also growing the capability to finance solar panels on houses and get the benefit of cheaper power. Most people didn't have a choice before [because fitting a house with solar panels was expensive], but now the residential solar industry has come along, and companies like ours can provide better and better services.

    2. What is the best advice you ever received?

    When I dropped out of college, my parents were kind of upset. My dad drove down to Utah and asked me what was going on. I told him I had an interesting idea for a business. And these are very simple words, but my Dad said to me, "First, if you're going to run a company, you have to provide the best service you possibly can for your customers. Second, you have to treat your employees like gold. And then three, everything else will work itself out."

    3. What would you do if you weren't working at your current job?

    I'd probably be trying to get a job here [at Vivint]. At some point, when I finish in the next 10 to 15 years or whenever I get tired, I'd like to teach business and entrepreneur classes.

    4. What is your greatest achievement?

    I think my greatest achievement is that I've had quite a bit of success from a business perspective. At the end of the day I realize that it's just a job, and it doesn't make me special, but I've tried to stay grounded through my business success. My company was valued at $2 billion, but I started in a trailer. I think I've maintained great relationships with the people I've worked with through the years. Those things at the end of the day are what really matter to me.