Most of us think of space as a future possibility. The reality is that space is our present: everything from our maps apps, bank transactions, and national defense depends on operations currently floating in orbit around us. That strategic importance also makes space vulnerable. Enter True Anomaly: the defense startup is dedicated to protecting the United States and its allies’ activity in space. In this episode of Spotlight On, Accel’s Jonathan Turner sat down with True Anomaly Co-Founder and CEO Even Rogers to discuss his leap from uniformed service to life as a first-time founder and the fast-evolving landscape of space defense. Their conversation covers: Even’s path into the space tech industry, why designing for space means you have to “invent the universe”, setting and sticking to your goals, selecting the right team, and why True Anomaly has learned to view failure as a critical part of the process—and developed a standard for doing it well.
Conversation Highlights
1:27 – “Trail runner looking for hero”
5:17 – How a children’s book piqued Even’s early interest in space
8:37 – Why 2012 was transformational for space as a war-fighting domain
13:00 – Why designing products for space still feels like “inventing the universe”
14:36 – How space powers our lives, from GPS to bank transactions to defense
19:02 – Taking on incumbents in a complex industry? Focus on reliability
25:18 – The differences between military and civilian leadership
29:34 – Why the stuff of science fiction may not be around the corner—yet
33:04 – True Anomaly’s three standards for failing well
36:03 – Up next: True Anomaly goes (literally) to the moon
Related Links
Securing our National Security in Space: Our Investment in True Anomaly
