Eight years after their Y Combinator batch, Boom successfully built and flew a supersonic jet, demonstrating the potential of hard tech startups.

The XB-1 was built to learn all the necessary lessons for creating a supersonic jet that is safe for passengers, using technology that can be deployed on commercial airliners.

Boom, a company funded by Y Combinator, is developing a supersonic passenger jet and made significant progress during their batch by securing a $100 million LOI from Richard Branson.

I initially thought there was no way I could be the one to discover the formula for supersonic passenger flight, but it turned out to be liberating to realize that I could find the flaws in the existing assumptions.

The XB-1 is the first independently developed supersonic jet in history, and it's a prototype for a future supersonic passenger airplane that aims to make air travel faster and more accessible.

Our team of about 50 people was able to build the entire airplane, demonstrating that small, high-caliber teams can achieve what larger teams cannot due to the constraints that breed innovation.

I set a lifetime goal in my 20s to fly supersonic after seeing a Concorde in a museum, and I believe the future should include flights that are at least twice as fast as current speeds.

Many qualitative claims about supersonic flight, such as that people won't pay more for speed or that the market is too small, are misleading because they don't address the quantitative aspects.

Belief in the importance of the cause is essential for founders. The world needs supersonic flight, and that belief drives me to overcome challenges and doubts.