Sometimes you don’t want to use the power meter because you’re saving up. Or perhaps you can’t use it, because you don’t have a single stock.
In this state, you have (or can or want to use) no meter. All of your tactics, then, have to revolve around moves and combos, etc. that do not use meter (i.e., no super special moves, no counting on guard cancels to bail you out, etc.). If your character does not really have viable routes of action without the meter, you have to start building it up. This may be accomplished with an explicit gauge-charger if it exists, or by using the usual methods (slightly unsafe zoning, landing hits, and so forth).