Infrastructure is the New Black
Okay, I admit it. I’m a big fan of John Oliver and his weekly news segment chipping away at our social norms from an outsider’s point of view.
Not dissimilar from the many years I spent in the UK, where my brazen American ways allowed me the freedom to question British social norms, be it personal or professional. Reminding me of Malcolm Gladwell’s New Yorker piece on “Uses of Adversity”, where he shares the story of Sidney Weinberg’s rise to power at Goldman Sachs, and Carnegie’s view that being an outsider is precisely what makes you a good insider.
Becoming a British insider taught me the best of both worlds, wrapping my head around the rich British history and how they came to adopt their norms and finally, what it felt like to bring those values back to the States, best described by Sarah Lyall in her NY Times op-ed “Ta-Ta London, Hello Awesome”, which may explain my overuse of the word, “sorry”.
Moving back to the States left me at odds with serious issues like gun violence, public healthcare and maternity leave to frivolous topics like pageantry and cheerleaders. So it should come as no surprise that in addition to his recent Trump thrashing, my views are strongly aligned with John Oliver and his brilliant piece on the lacking sense of urgency behind our infrastructure.
Similarly, GE launched its self-deprecating recruitment campaign called, “What’s the Matter with Owen?” with a variety of advertisements mocking Owen’s decision to code for big industry in order to help hospitals run better, trains operate on time and planes fly more efficiently.
Since our US launch, our accelerator program has been getting a lot of press coverage and I’ve been meeting all sorts of journalists ranging from aerospace publications trying to wrap their heads around the world of venture capital to tech publications only interested in far-out space startups and paparazzi drones.
We at Starburst Accelerator work hard to join these two worlds but it requires heavy lifting to raise awareness in both camps. Our world functions on massively complex infrastructure that’s desperate for overhaul and efficiency, not just by corporates with their hands stretched out waiting for government funds, but with the outsider approach of Sydney Weinberg and motivation from the “Owens” of our world.
Infrastructure may not be sexy but I guarantee the sentiment of those in the Bay Area is to “make the world a better place” and do more than the next“local, mobile, social” app.
So what happens when you combine a disenchanted pool of talented innovators with a dysfunctional bureaucracy that denies its citizens a better quality of life, with a corporate establishment ready to bend over backward to meet their customer needs?
Answer: Accelerators.
Over the last ten years the global economy has witnessed thousands of Accelerators come to life, offering startups seed capital and bootcamp style business mentorship, coming in all shapes and colors, with governments and corporations getting involved to help push research out of the lab and into the market. Something we’re investing more energy into supporting as well.
I heard Portland is now calling their tech hub “Silicon Forest”. Add it to every city’s agenda to strengthen startup culture and venture capital into their respective economic engine whether it’s manufacturing, farming, health, education, entertainment, finance or more.
Tech geeks have had their time in the Valley. It’s time to join the nerds of infrastructure in emerging tech hubs and get involved with projects that matter.
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for the next exciting project, don’t think about the obvious challenges, focus on the non-obvious ones, then peel it back a few layers to see what’s underneath. Government, university and corporate labs are quickly adopting the “Entrepreneur-in-Residence” approach to tech-transfer and would love to bring you on board.
If you’re a corporate executive, think about piloting a program with startups that lack preferred supplier status. Offer them business trials without the rigorous contract rules.
If you’re an investor, continue to grow your engineering technical capabilities either in the firm or parachute them into the businesses your investing in.
If you’re a graduating student, think about where you want to be in 5–10 years, not just next year and how the next gig or two will help you reach your ideal place. How can a major corporation share its pain points and best practices before you decide to launch your own business or join a startup to address the pain points differently?
We are experiencing a critical shift today where the innovation dynamic is no longer binary but a quadrant. With each stakeholder meeting at the cross-section, embracing the next generation of talent, seeking smarter funding sources, and looking at creative partnerships versus traditional IP licensing in order to develop products at pace. Products that will affect the way we communicate, travel and build the infrastructure that supports our livelihood.
Not since the space conquest have we witnessed such a movement to capitalize and pursue entrepreneurship and rapid commercialization in the aerospace industry. With more venture investments in aerospace last year alone than previous years combined.
Starburst Accelerator, the world’s first aerospace accelerator, with offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich and Singapore, brings the private sector, research and investment community together to accelerate business growth and opportunities for startups in aerospace.
