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Philip Johnston - Sending Data Centers into Space as Founder of Lumen Orbit
200 VCs wanted to get into Lumen Orbit (YC S24)'s seed round!
Over the holidays, James Moffat and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lumen's Co-Founder and CEO, Philip Johnston.
Drawing on his experience as a former Harvard University class president, McKinsey & Company consultant, and entrepreneur with a successful exit, Philip is now turning his focus to the stars. His mission? To revolutionize computing with solar-powered, orbit-based data centers that could redefine energy efficiency and scalability for AI.
Key Takeaways:
1. Be bold:
The biggest opportunities often lie in “zero-billion dollar markets”—industries that barely exist today but have massive potential, like computing in space. These untapped frontiers, often adjacent to big markets, are where transformative breakthroughs and category-defining companies are born.
2. Falling Launch Costs Are a Game-Changer:
Rockets like Starship will make getting mass into orbit 100x cheaper, unlocking opportunities like space-based data centers and other frontier innovations.
3. First-Principles Thinking Wins:
LumenOrbit tackles challenges by reducing them to their core engineering problems—like designing lightweight, cost-effective radiators capable of dissipating heat in the vacuum of space, a fundamental hurdle for high-energy applications.
4. New Industries Offer Rapid Expertise:
In emerging fields like AI and space tech, focused effort can make you an expert in months. Aspiring entrepreneurs and new grads should target fast-growing industries with room for newcomers.
View all episodes
By James Moffat and Bryce Neil200 VCs wanted to get into Lumen Orbit (YC S24)'s seed round!
Over the holidays, James Moffat and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lumen's Co-Founder and CEO, Philip Johnston.
Drawing on his experience as a former Harvard University class president, McKinsey & Company consultant, and entrepreneur with a successful exit, Philip is now turning his focus to the stars. His mission? To revolutionize computing with solar-powered, orbit-based data centers that could redefine energy efficiency and scalability for AI.
Key Takeaways:
1. Be bold:
The biggest opportunities often lie in “zero-billion dollar markets”—industries that barely exist today but have massive potential, like computing in space. These untapped frontiers, often adjacent to big markets, are where transformative breakthroughs and category-defining companies are born.
2. Falling Launch Costs Are a Game-Changer:
Rockets like Starship will make getting mass into orbit 100x cheaper, unlocking opportunities like space-based data centers and other frontier innovations.
3. First-Principles Thinking Wins:
LumenOrbit tackles challenges by reducing them to their core engineering problems—like designing lightweight, cost-effective radiators capable of dissipating heat in the vacuum of space, a fundamental hurdle for high-energy applications.
4. New Industries Offer Rapid Expertise:
In emerging fields like AI and space tech, focused effort can make you an expert in months. Aspiring entrepreneurs and new grads should target fast-growing industries with room for newcomers.