I am trying to find the ideal way to start a space business without immediately needing substantial financial resources.
Create a space industry giant from scratch with little external funding.
Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
1–10 of 155 posts
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#2Cubesats?
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#3Cubesats?
For what purpose?
Telecommunications?
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#4Why not wait until people are out there already and sell shovels
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#5Why not wait until people are out there already and sell shovels
1. It may take many years before significant number of people are out there.
2. What kind of equipment or services would these "shovels" be? Is there any kind of equipment used in space that could be produced by a bootstrapped company that doesn't have billions of dollars in funding? Why would a new company in this business succeed when competing against established companies that already have experience producing such equipment?
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#6Could you share why bootstrapping this business is attractive?
I’ve bootstrapped many companies, but I did so because the situation seemed to warrant it (capital requirements, perceived market size, achievable short-term revenue, etc.).
If you’re absolutely dead-set on both space and bootstrapping, I’d start by consulting in that field. Get paid while you spot a problem and build a team to moonlight on it.
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#7Why not wait until people are out there already and sell shovels
1. It may take many years before significant number of people are out there. 2. What kind of equipment or services would these "shovels" be? Is there any kind of equipment used in space that could be produced by a bootstrapped company that doesn't have billions of dollars in funding? Why would a new company in this business succeed when competing against established companies that already have experience producing su…
1. Plenty of time to prepare then.
2. frankly sir I dont have a clue! maybe a space escort service as space will probably be full of young men with lots of money :-)
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#8Could you share why bootstrapping this business is attractive? I’ve bootstrapped many companies, but I did so because the situation seemed to warrant it (capital requirements, perceived market size, achievable short-term revenue, etc.). If you’re absolutely dead-set on both space and bootstrapping, I’d start by consulting in that field. Get paid while you spot a problem and build a team to moonlight on it.
By "bootstrap" I mean a way of self-financing part of the activities, finding a source of income quickly rather than relying solely on fundraising.
Raising money is not a problem, but I don't see myself getting involved in creating a business that requires billions and billions of dollars in financing before generating a single cent.
Re: Ask HN: How would you bootstrap a space company?
#9The "spaceness," of the business needs definition. Maybe you build drones to defend asteroid mining claims and equipment, stealth communications for space prospecting, cryptographically sovereign networks for space supply chains, low gravity weapons and anti-piracy defences, solar sails, a navigation scheme and commercial beacon network, etc.
The nearest term use case for commercial space tech is going to be regulatory arbitrage, so if you can deliver content and secure a physical space jurisdiction for a legal system, it will be the new off shore.