In this episode, Nico Montoya, Head of Propulsion, Manufacturing, & Test Operations at Orbital Operations, shares his journey from building rockets as a child to leading complex aerospace programmes. Drawing on experience at companies including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Relativity Space, Stoke Space, and Orbital Operations, Nico explores how hands-on learning, embracing failure, mentorship, and extreme ownership create stronger engineers and high-performing teams.Key Topics:Turning a childhood passion for rockets into an aerospace careerWhy building and testing teaches what the classroom cannotLearning from failure and designing for reliabilityThe value of student teams, internships, and building a professional networkFinding mentors and seeking career-shaping adviceExtreme ownership, collaboration, and accountability in complex engineering teamsPractical advice for aspiring engineers: build, experiment, and get involved
In this episode, Avery McMillan shares insights on building a startup from the ground up, the importance of process, culture, and leveraging AI in hardware design. Discover how strategic decisions and a focus on excellence can shape a successful early-stage company.Key Topics:Challenges of starting with no processBuilding company culture as a founderUsing AI to revolutionize hardware designStrategic manufacturing decisions for scaleImportance of documentation and process discipline
