Concorde

Michael Kratsios explains how the White House coordinates technology policy across federal agencies and argues that regulation should keep pace with fast-moving technologies. He describes the administration’s support for open source AI, a national framework to reduce compliance burdens for startups, and efforts to remove barriers for technologies such as commercial drones and supersonic flight. He discusses risks from cyber-capable AI and biological misuse, while emphasizing the need for testing and evaluation. He also outlines how AI could transform scientific research through autonomous laboratories and identifies quantum information science as a priority for the coming years.

Blake Scholl describes how Boom built XB-1, a supersonic demonstrator, with a 50-person team and a software-like approach to hardware development. Boom used simulation tools, in-house manufacturing, and rapid iteration to reduce the time and cost of designing and testing aircraft components. Scholl recounts XB-1’s flights, its demonstration of Mach cutoff, and the company’s work to change U.S. supersonic flight rules. He also shares lessons on building ambitious companies: choose work you care about, learn by making things, engage regulators early when safety matters, and build teams around curiosity and commitment.

Blake Scholl explains how his ambition to restore supersonic passenger travel led him to found Boom Supersonic, despite having no aerospace background. He describes testing the idea through airplane and market models, learning from experts, and building the XB-1 as a way to develop the lessons needed for the Overture airliner. The talk emphasizes that hard-tech founders should validate demand alongside technical feasibility, build small teams, and stay motivated by a mission they believe matters. Scholl argues that ambitious ideas can be achievable when founders examine quantitative evidence instead of accepting conventional assumptions.