Supersonic Travel with Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic

Our guest today, Blake Scholl, the CEO of Boom Supersonic, is here to give us insights into the ambitions for supersonic travel. Boom aims to build the world’s fastest civil aircraft, twice as fast commercial flights. Blake gives us some background and history of the space, sharing insights into why so many projects seemed to fail and the general move away from these ideas. He updates us on why the technology has potentially caught up with the aspirations and just how beneficial these shortened travel times can be, from a convenience, cost, and industrial standpoint. Blake fills us in on Boom’s current state and when it might be expected to be rolled out. He details the way they intend to bring this option to market, activating latent demand and hopefully allowing prices to come down as the market grows. We also get into the nuts and bolts of the tech, discuss 3D printing, the business culture at Boom, and how they have gone about finding funding. Listeners can expect to hear about the companies Boom is connected to, pricing for this type of travel, and why Boom’s plane seats could be revolutionary.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Blake’s position at Boom Supersonic and the vision for the company
• The history of supersonic travel and the current landscape of the industry
• Exciting new technologies since the last push for supersonic flight
• Status updates on Boom’s developments and where they are at with their products
• How Boom is using 3D printing for manufacturing parts and tools
• Boom’s partnership with Stratasys and their reliance on their quality and strength
• The encouragement Boom gives their employees to experiment with 3D printing
• Innovation through a well-rounded team; expertise, youth and enthusiasm
• Boom’s journey with venture capital; the need to defy conventional wisdom
• Herd mentality in venture capital and breaking free from the past
• The value that is placed on saving time and how high premium prices can go
• Looking at competitors and comparable technologies for more direct travel
• Cost breakdowns for supersonic plane travel
• Boom’s approach to breaking the mold of airplane seats and comfort
• Awaiting rollout as the next major milestone in Boom’s journey