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Y Combinator - Building A Supersonic Plane Company From The Ground Up

发布时间:2025-02-14 15:06:42   原节目
这段视频采访了Boom Supersonic公司的创始人兼首席执行官Blake Scholl。Boom Supersonic旨在恢复超音速客运飞行。讨论围绕超音速飞行的历史、Scholl从技术背景转型为领导航空航天公司的历程,以及Boom的超音速客机“Overture”的开发。 Scholl解释说,XP1是第一架独立开发的超音速喷气机,是一个原型机,旨在为建造安全高效的超音速客机积累宝贵经验。他将XP1与SpaceX的猎鹰1号相提并论,强调它是一个概念验证,为更大、性能更强的飞机“Overture”铺平道路。Overture的目标是以1.7马赫的速度搭载约65名乘客,并使用100%可持续燃料,计划于2029年开始客运飞行。此外,他们还致力于消除陆地上空的音爆。 Scholl对超音速飞行的兴趣源于在博物馆看到协和飞机。他意识到,尽管协和飞机已经停飞,但对更快航空旅行的需求仍然存在。他认为协和飞机的失败并非技术问题,而是经济问题。协和飞机的票价经过通货膨胀调整后高达2万美元,而且飞机经常半空飞行。Boom的目标是通过提供与当今商务舱票价相当的价格,使超音速旅行更具可达性。 Scholl的背景是计算机科学和技术,曾在亚马逊、一家移动创业公司以及他自己的电子商务企业工作。他意识到,虽然他擅长自己的工作,但他并没有从中获得灵感。这促使他去探索他对航空的热情,这种热情他从小就怀揣着。他决定调查协和飞机失败的原因,以及新型超音速客机是否在经济上可行。 最初,Scholl沉浸在学习航空航天知识中,购买教科书,参加飞机设计课程,甚至重新学习微积分和物理。他意识到,许多人认为超音速飞行的障碍是基于定性假设,而不是定量分析。他创建了一个电子表格模型来分析新型超音速客机的经济和技术方面,重点是空气动力学效率、推进效率、结构效率和马赫数。 尽管缺乏航空航天经验,Scholl还是向专家寻求建议。他向斯坦福大学的一位教授展示了他的模型,教授确认Scholl的假设是保守的,这让他更有信心继续前进。然后,他花了六个月的时间在航空航天行业内建立人脉,从零开始。他给人们发冷邮件,并提出请他们吃饭,以此换取建议。他会询问每个人他们最想合作的五个人,递归地建立他的网络,直到他接触到顶尖人才。这种方法使他能够组建一个最初的团队。 Scholl强调了创始人动机的重要性。他相信世界需要超音速飞行,乘客也应该享受它。这种信念驱使他克服挑战,并在质疑声中坚持不懈。他认为,Boom的故事表明,创始人不需要传统的资质,只要充满激情和决心,雄心勃勃的想法是可以实现的。 Boom的团队大约有50人,对于一家航空航天公司来说规模相对较小。他们优先考虑人才和挑战既定规范的意愿。许多团队成员来自SpaceX等公司,还有一些人在职业生涯早期从波音公司招募而来。Scholl认为,小而精干的团队比更大的团队更具创新性。 他还认识到,许多创业公司都会遇到困难。他认为,雄心勃勃的创始人在创业过程中都会处于个人极限状态。因此,他认为人们应该从事有意义的事情。他建议有抱负的创始人专注于他们的热情,因为在应对公司建设过程中不可避免的挑战时,动力至关重要。

This video features an interview with Blake Scholl, the founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, a company aiming to bring back supersonic passenger travel. The discussion revolves around the history of supersonic flight, Scholl's journey from a tech background to leading an aerospace company, and the development of Boom's supersonic airliner, Overture. Scholl explains that the XP1, the first independently developed supersonic jet, is a prototype designed to learn essential lessons for building a safe and efficient supersonic passenger aircraft. He draws a parallel between XP1 and SpaceX's Falcon 1, emphasizing that it is a proof of concept leading to a larger, more capable aircraft, the Overture. The Overture aims to carry around 65 passengers at Mach 1.7 using 100% sustainable fuel, with the goal of starting passenger flights by 2029. Furthermore, they aim to eliminate sonic booms over land. Scholl's interest in supersonic flight was sparked by seeing a Concorde in a museum. He realized that despite the Concorde's shutdown, the need for faster air travel remained. He viewed the Concorde's failure not as a technological issue but as an economic one. Concorde tickets cost $20,000 adjusted for inflation, and the planes often flew half-empty. Boom aims to make supersonic travel more accessible by offering fares comparable to business class today. Scholl's background is in computer science and tech, with experience at Amazon, a mobile startup, and his own e-commerce venture. He realized that while he was good at his work, he wasn't inspired by it. This led him to explore his passion for aviation, which he had harbored since childhood. He decided to investigate why Concorde failed and whether a new supersonic airliner could be economically viable. Initially, Scholl immersed himself in learning about aerospace, buying textbooks, taking an airplane design class, and even revisiting calculus and physics. He realized that many perceived barriers to supersonic flight were based on qualitative assumptions rather than quantitative analysis. He created a spreadsheet model to analyze the economics and technical aspects of a new supersonic airliner, focusing on aerodynamic efficiency, propulsion efficiency, structural efficiency, and Mach number. Despite his lack of aerospace experience, Scholl sought advice from experts. He showed his model to a professor at Stanford, who confirmed that Scholl's assumptions were conservative, emboldening him to move forward. He then spent six months networking within the aerospace industry, starting from scratch. He cold-emailed people and offered to fly and buy them lunch in exchange for advice. He would ask each person for their top five dream collaborators, recursively building his network until he reached top-tier talent. This approach allowed him to assemble an initial team. Scholl emphasizes the importance of founder motivation. He believes the world needs supersonic flight and that passengers deserve it. This conviction drives him to overcome challenges and persevere despite doubts. Boom's story, he argues, shows that founders don't need conventional credentials and that ambitious ideas are achievable if pursued with passion and determination. The team at Boom consists of about 50 people, a relatively small size for an aerospace company. They prioritize talent and a willingness to challenge established norms. Many team members come from companies like SpaceX, and some are recruited from Boeing early in their careers. Scholl believes small, high-caliber teams can be more innovative than larger ones. He also recognizes that many startups will be difficult. He believes that ambitious founders will operate at their personal red line, regardless of the company. Because of this, he believes one should work on something significant. He advises aspiring founders to focus on their passions, as motivation is crucial for navigating the inevitable challenges of building a company.