The integration of carbon nanomaterials with inorganic components has emerged as a promising strategy for advancing electrochemical energy technologies. Carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and porous carbons offer high surface area, excellent conductivity, and tunable pore structures. When combined with inorganic materials like metal oxides, sulfides, phosphides, or nitrides, the resulting hybrids exhibit enhanced electrochemical activity through complementary properties. A central interest in this research lies in maximizing the number and accessibility of exposed active sites, which are crucial for charge transfer, ion adsorption, and catalytic reactions. Carbon supports provide extended conductive networks that facilitate electron transport while serving as platforms to disperse inorganic phases. Effective hybrid design ensures uniform dispersion and nanoscale control of inorganic domains, preventing aggregation and increasing the availability of electrochemically active surfaces. High loading of inorganic phases must be achieved without blocking conductive carbon surfaces or reducing porosity. The development of scalable and environmentally benign synthesis routes further complicates progress. Despite these obstacles, the potential of carbon–inorganic hybrids to combine conductivity, surface activity, and catalytic efficiency continues to drive intensive research efforts. In this context, I will present our recent findings on metal nitride–carbon nanotube hybrids and examine how substrate topography influences the growth mechanisms of thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering.