Layer Zero Orbiting Opportunity: Space Factories & Venture with Founders Fund's Delian Asparouhov
10 snips
Nov 4, 2025 
Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda Space Industries, dives into the thrilling world of space-based manufacturing. He shares insights on navigating risk in deep tech and the importance of timing in investments. Delian highlights the need for a flexible approach while sourcing and evaluates what makes a founder resilient. With a focus on prioritizing manufacturing and path-to-market strategies, he emphasizes learning from past hiring missteps. His journey uniquely blends venture capital with high-stakes tech, sparking excitement for the future.
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Step-Function Risk In Long R&D Cycles
- Long R&D companies have step-function progress points that make near-misses nearly worthless.
- Plan capitalization and inflection milestones tightly to avoid running out of funding before a critical demo.
Invest Where Future Consensus Will Form
- Seek sectors that could be consensus in five years but are overlooked today.
- Position early to capture tailwinds before others recognize the opportunity.
Structured Approval, Free Sourcing
- Founders Fund enforces strict approval mechanics while letting partners explore freely.
- That rule-less culture empowers nimble, individual-driven sector focus without procedural bottlenecks.