The authors discuss the underperformance of the space sector in attracting investment, likening it to the mining industry. They explore parallels in capital structures, risk management, and the importance of transparency following historical events like the Bre-X scandal. The conversation emphasizes learning from mining's evolution to enhance investor confidence in space.
Read More »Space Is Complex
This column is a follow up to the column I recently wrote on the topic of risk in the space sector. Specifically, that column was on the topic of execution risk. This is also a follow up to columns I have previously written on the topic of complexity. That’s because I think the two topics are actually related.
Read More »On Risk, Particularly Execution Risk – Advice to Founders
Let's talk about risk. In an earlier column I discussed how investors see, and quantify, the return they expect to see when they consider investing in a company. But we did not talk about how investors view the other side of the risk-reward equation. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support independent journalism. …
Read More »Valuation – Where’s The Value in That?
Whether they like it or not, Founders tend to spend a lot of time trying to raise money. After establishing that they want or need the money, the next question they always confront is how much they are worth. Or more specifically, what value can they set on their company and their equity in it – to sell that equity to an investor. This is known as …
Read More »The “Right Decision”Fallacy, Advice to Founders
Yes, you read the title correctly. In this column I am going to assert that in business, anyway, there really are no "right " decisions.
Read More »The Five Forces of Business Acumen – Advice to Founders
This is a column that builds on the topic I raised a while back. It's the topic of how do you, as the founder or CEO of a small business - or any business actually - separate the merely urgent from the truly important. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology and more. Support …
Read More »Do You Have Time? And the Collision of Two Approaches
In the space business, there is an old adage. If you don't have time to do it right. Do you have time to do it twice? This is, in a sense, one of the rules of the space business that has been challenged in the new space environment. This page is for subscribers only. Already a subscriber? Log in. Fact-driven space news, columns, business, policy, technology …
Read More »Founders, Separating the Urgent From the Important
One of the most important jobs of a founder of startup business – well of any business is what I refer to as the process of separating the Merely Urgent from the Truly Important. Which is a statement that might require a bit of explanation. So, in this column I want to talk about what I mean by that and why it matters.
Read More »Leadership Is…
Leadership is the art of influencing human behaviour so as to achieve the mission in the manner desired by the leader. That is the definition of leadership that I learned at the age of 13 as an Air Cadet (it was the Canadian Forces standard definition at the time). I have never needed another.
Read More »What Is A Lead Investor Anyway? And is the Role Changing?
If you have ever tried to raise money for a business, you will be familiar with the term “Lead Investor.” If you have not had that pleasure, you might not be.
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