With everything that has happened over the past few weeks, it is understandable that many did not witness the historic SpaceX flight.
Many were protesting, many more were watching the protests and even more were discussing issues that have plagued this world.
For a brief 30 minutes, a team changed the world. The launch provided a very brief escape into awe and a refuge of wonder in a time of great change and strife.
Quick history: Elon Musk started SpaceX in 2002 and over that 10 year period, SpaceX grew from a laughable idea to changing the world. SpaceX dared to dream that a private company could win vs government in the space race.
This is akin to Henry Ford betting against horses.
Then again, it’s only crazy when it doesn’t conform to our understanding of reality.
(remember, the world was #flat for thousands of years)
How was SpaceX able to accomplish this feat?
We will explore a few unique ideas presented by the leadership team and
how they can apply to your business
Relentless focus on the future – the SpaceX team took a significant
problem and asked the question differently…instead wondering ‘why not’, it was ‘why not us?’. Why couldn’t a company comprised of smart, talented and driven minds build the future?
Embracing hype – Elon is a master hype creator and marketer. From his flamethrowers to having a Tesla launched into space, Elon has consistently pushed the envelope in what they were ‘trying to do’ well before it was done. The ‘hype’ drove funding, excitement and most importantly, awareness.
Embracing failure as part of the process – the SF cliché of ‘fail fast and cheap’ doesn’t apply to rockets as they are incredibly expensive and building them takes significant time. Elon took a principle that works for PayPal and flipped it on it’s head with ‘fail as few times as possible’.
Hope for a better world – what Elon and SpaceX proved was that for
the first time in history, a private company took astronauts to space.
The amount of doubt, pushback and brick-walls they powered through
is inspiring and is a reminder to all that with steadfast belief, anything
is possible.
Hope for a better is especially relevant today with the world in dire need of systemic change.
Perhaps by keeping our minds among the stars, we can begin to heal as a world and take on the hardest challenges with these key tenants demonstrated by the amazing team at SpaceX.
Stay safe out there!
-T
ES