YC
How Blake Scholl Built The First Independent Supersonic Jet
@ Y Combinator
02/15/25
Takeaways
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
I wanted to work on flight because it would make me the happiest if it worked, and I believe that if every founder pursued the most ambitious ideas they could conceive, it would lead to greater happiness and innovation.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Overture, the upcoming supersonic airliner, will carry around 65 passengers, travel at Mach 1.7, and run on 100% sustainable fuel, while also preventing sonic booms from reaching the ground, allowing it to fly over land.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Supersonic travel will enter the market similarly to other technologies, starting at higher price points and gradually becoming more affordable, much like electric cars and smartphones.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Overture's ticket prices will be comparable to today's business class fares, allowing for faster travel times, such as flying from Tokyo to Seattle in four hours or New York to London in about three hours and forty-five minutes.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
I initially pursued a career in tech, working at Amazon and Groupon, but I found that chasing what I thought I knew gave me a sense of competence without purpose, leading me to realize the importance of following my passions.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
After selling my first company to Groupon, I wanted to work on something that would inspire me and allow me to create new skills and knowledge. I never want to be 80 years old looking backwards and wondering what if I tried.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
The reason Concord failed was not due to technology, but economics.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
To succeed in hard tech, you must mature the concept of the market alongside the product concept.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Concord's high ticket prices and low occupancy rates made its economics unviable.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
I created a spreadsheet model to analyze both the airplane's performance and the global air travel market.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
You can predict an airplane's performance using just four inputs: aerodynamic efficiency, lift-to-drag ratio, propulsive efficiency, and structural efficiency.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Networking was crucial; I started with no connections in the aerospace industry and reached out to as many people as possible for advice.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
I would ask industry experts who their top five people would be to work on my airplane design idea, regardless of availability.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
The bystander effect can prevent people from pursuing obvious opportunities, like supersonic flight, which is clearly beneficial but has been overlooked by experts in aerospace.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
I took a year off after leaving Groupon to explore what I wanted to do next, which allowed me to pursue the idea of supersonic flight without the fear of it being a dead end.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
It's crucial to have a mix of experienced experts and ambitious newcomers on your team. The right balance helps prevent mistakes while fostering innovative thinking.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Building a supersonic jet is incredibly challenging, but it's not impossible. It requires a unique approach and a willingness to learn from mistakes along the way.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
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.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Founders don't need to be limited by their formal credentials; the most ambitious startup ideas can often be surprisingly achievable and may be hiding in plain sight.
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Blake Scholl
02/15/25
@ Y Combinator
Startups are inherently difficult, and every founder will face moments of self-doubt. It's better to work on something significant, even if it feels daunting.