#34 How Stephen Hong Is Building a Heat Pump Business by Saying No to Fast Growth and Bad Installs

Want to help build the future of heat pump software? We're hiring a software engineer to help contractors measure homes faster and design systems more accurately. Check out our open role. https://info.amply.energy/sr-mobile-engineer-may-2025

---------------------------------------------------------------

If you're a heat pump contractor feeling burnt out, wondering if this whole electrification thing is worth the hassle, or questioning whether you can build something meaningful in HVAC — this episode is your shot of inspiration.

Stephen Hong is just over 30 years old. He's got a materials science degree from Virginia Tech. He's been running Electrify Colorado Mechanical for only a year and a half. And listening to him talk about heat pumps, you'd think he just discovered fire.

"Heat pumps are the pearl of HVAC," Stephen says, and he means it. Not because they're easy money or simple installs, but because they're challenging. Because they matter. Because when you get one right, you're not just fixing someone's comfort — you're making a real dent in climate change while working on what Stephen calls "the most immense responsibility" — people's homes.

This isn't your typical contractor success story. Stephen's path wound through disaster relief work, dead-end construction jobs, and answering a Craigslist ad from a guy who asked: "Do you want to help people stop burning dinosaur bones?" 

Key Learnings

• Quality installs start with airtight refrigerant handling — leaks can reverse years of climate gains.
• Transparency and education are Stephen’s tools for building trust with homeowners.
• A heat pump project done well is a climate solution and a customer service win.
• Scaling a business means balancing growth with quality and training.
• Partnering with great electricians is critical to whole-home electrification success.
• Humility and honesty go further than “sales talk” in winning customers’ trust.

Timestamps:

[00:00] - Introduction

[02:45] - Meet Stephen Hong and Electrify Colorado Mechanical

[04:26] - Stephen’s path from engineering to disaster relief to HVAC

[17:24] - The 5,000 details that make or break an install

[22:48] - Building trust through radical transparency

[30:40] - His vision for growing the business — slowly and sustainably

[37:02] - Stephen’s advice: Be human, ask for help, respect the responsibility

Follow Stephen Hong:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hongs1/ 

Follow Electrify Colorado Mechanical:  

• Company’s Website: https://electrifycolorado.us/ 
• Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electrify-colorado-mechanical/ 

Follow the Hosts:

• Ed Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-smith-5aa8716
• Eric Fitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehfitz/
• Amply Energy Website: https://www.amply.energy/
• Amply Energy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amplyenergy
• Amply Energy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amplyenergy
• Amply Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amply_energy/