Climb aboard an astronomical business opportunity before it takes off.
The new Space Age has already begun, but there is still time for you to get in early. In The Space Economy: Capitalize on the Greatest Business Opportunity of Our Lifetime, accomplished venture capitalist and Space Capital founder Chad Anderson offers investors, entrepreneurs, and aspiring professionals powerful tools and information for understanding how space-based technologies have, and will continue to, transform enterprise, government, and consumer markets for decades to come. Whether you're seeking entrepreneurial ideas worth exploring, a career worth pursuing, or investments worth making, the burgeoning Space Economy represents a hidden opportunity larger than the nascent internet at the dawn of the Millennium. From global positioning, geospatial intelligence, and satellite communications to commercial human spaceflight and interplanetary transportation, this book explains how and why the space economy is the greatest opportunity of our lifetime.
Readers will learn:
- How to develop a thesis for investing in innovation at a global scale
- The major and minor players in a business ecosystem of epic potential - and how to identify and exploit vast areas of blue-sky opportunity still unexplored
- Lessons from entrepreneurs and investors on what it takes to thrive in this new arena, including case studies of exciting startups successfully leveraging space-based technology
- In-depth advice on hiring and retaining out-of-this-world talent in an increasingly competitive landscape
- The in-demand skills and aptitudes of space careers - and tips on networking and getting hired at the hottest companies
- Deep dives into the legal, political, and diplomatic implications of space-based entrepreneurship
A fascinating and accessible treatment of the latest, greatest, and most promising area of business opportunity since the internet, The Space Economy will be essential reading for anyone interested in seizing a brighter future.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1 Space Is the Next Big Thing: To See the Future of Your Job, Your Investments, and the Economy, Look Up 1
2 Mapping the Space Economy: Understanding the Ecosystem and Its Key Players 23
3 Chief Orbital Officer: Profiles in Space Economy Entrepreneurship 49
4 No Overhead: How and Why to Start a Business in the Space Economy 73
5 Charting a Trajectory: Co- founders, Customers, and Capital 91
6 From Apollo to SpaceX and Beyond: The Fall and Rise of American Space Ambitions and the Future of Public-Private Partnerships 109
7 Buy Low, Sell Very High: Investing in the Space Economy 133
8 Navigating Space Careers: Seizing the Opportunity of a Lifetime 145
9 Winning the War for Talent: A Guide to Recruiting and Retaining “The Right Stuff” 165
10 The Future of the Space Economy: What Happens When Orbit Is Cheap, Easy, and Safe? 181
Conclusion 203
Notes 207
About the Author 215
Index 217
