Pioneering Sustainable Exploration Initiatives

In June 2023, the world was captivated by a four-day search for the crew of Titan, a five-person research submersible believed lost at the bottom of the Atlantic. The global media frenzy focused on the co-founder/CEO of the company that built and owned the sub, portraying him as a charismatic con-man who deceived wealthy “tourists” to finance his efforts to innovate and disrupt the ocean exploration status quo.

• Human exploration has always involved risks, including injury or death.
• Disruptive innovation often faces entrenched resistance.
• Challenging “conventional wisdom” is difficult, especially when it is institutionalized.
• “Not accepted” does not mean “wrong,” as Galileo’s experience shows.
• There is no simple solution for how to “break rules” to advance progress.

Mars has always captivated our imaginations as a potential destination for humanity, with charismatic evangelists like Elon Musk, Bob Zubrin, and Buzz Aldrin promoting that narrative. As the world’s major space nations push outward from Earth’s orbit to the Moon’s surface, the prospect of a future community on Mars seems ever more possible. But what about Venus? Could it also emerge as another alternative second home for the human species?

• Mars has only 38% of Earth’s gravity, and there is no way to create artificial gravity there.
• We don’t know if Homo sapiens can reproduce in less than 1G of gravity.
• Venus, however, has 98% of Earth’s gravity.
• The surface of Venus is completely inhospitable, with extreme heat and pressure.
• Scientists believe that 50km into the Venusian atmosphere, we may find Earth-like conditions.
• Venus is our closest planetary neighbor, making flights there cheaper and safer.
• We already have technology to overcome its CO2 atmosphere and sulfuric acid clouds.
• Believe it or not, the “cloud city” from Star Wars may actually become real on Venus!

In many ways, exploration and entrepreneurship are quite similar, as both require unique forms of leadership to succeed in risky and potentially dangerous situations. Some individuals are born leaders, but the best leaders are those who are students of their craft, honing their skills through a lifetime of practice. They follow principles that the rest of us can also learn and apply.

• Why “leadership” is different from “management.”
• Good leaders have a default leadership style but master several.
• Great leaders seek to both inspire and connect.
• Empathy and humility are paradoxical yet essential leadership traits.
• While “natural” leaders may have an edge, leadership can be taught.

The term “sustainability” is perhaps one of the most overused in the 21st century. On a global scale, making Earth sustainable for 8 billion people seems like an overwhelming endeavor.

Over a decade ago, the UN created its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, but today we are no closer to achieving even one. However, as some of us strive to make humanity a multi-planet species by establishing communities in space, this effort may hold the key to solving some of these issues.

• What makes a community “sustainable”?
• Why lack of money (or human resources) is NOT the cause of our problems.
• Adopting an abundance mindset is crucial here on Earth, but not in space.
• What it takes to make a permanent off-world community sustainable.
• What lessons can we draw from space and apply to Earth?

During the Apollo 13 emergency, NASA’s famed Flight Director, Gene Kranz, famously said, “failure is not an option.” In contrast, Silicon Valley’s mantra is “fail early, fail often.” So, which is it? The way the human mind is wired, we tend to learn much more from failure than from success. Whether we like it or not, to succeed, we must be willing to risk failure.

• Silicon Valley is an outlier, but so is NASA.
• Statistically, most successful entrepreneurs fail at least twice before succeeding.
• Gates, Jobs, Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Musk are exceptions that prove the rule.
• Different cultures and industries view failure differently.
• While pursuing success, failure should not be a surprising alternative.
• Planning for failure is almost as important as planning for success.

Every explorer embarking on an ambitious and dangerous journey has inevitably faced the question: “Why are you doing this?” Often, they provide well-rehearsed answers that are only mildly convincing. The truth is, they may not fully understand their own motivations; they are simply following what feels right to them. However, examining the explorer’s mindset can offer valuable insights for managing our own struggles.

• Staying in our comfort zone is a logical survival instinct.
• Venturing outside of our comfort zone is quite counterintuitive.
• For the long-term survival of a species, some individuals must explore.
• Ant colonies and bee hives provide perfect examples from nature.
• Even non-explorers should occasionally “explore.”

Entrepreneurs need a touch of madness to willingly dive into projects that will consume their lives for years, often facing high risks of failure. The startup life isn’t for everyone, but the lessons these brave individuals learn can greatly benefit established businesses aiming to foster innovation.

• Embracing failure as a potential outcome
• Identifying and managing risk
• Understanding and clearly articulating a “why”
• Developing a sufficiently large BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)
• Building a professional network
• Promoting “servant leadership”