My First Million cover image

My First Million

The insane story of Blake Scholl: the high school dropout who’s building supersonic jets

Feb 11, 2025
Discover the remarkable journey of a high school dropout turned entrepreneur, who defied the odds to pitch his supersonic jet vision at Y Combinator. After facing skepticism, he garnered five billion dollars in letters of intent from Richard Branson. Explore themes of 'high agency' and resilience in entrepreneurship, as he navigates challenges in a competitive landscape. The podcast also highlights the quirky stories of innovative toy entrepreneurs and an electric bike pioneer, showcasing the unpredictable nature of ambition-driven ventures.
55:46

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Blake Scholl, a high school dropout, exemplifies high agency by transforming an audacious vision for supersonic travel into a viable company, Boom Supersonic.
  • Securing $5 billion in letters of intent highlights the robust demand for supersonic jets, showcasing airlines' interest in reducing flight times significantly.

Deep dives

The Rise of Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic aims to revolutionize air travel by creating the first supersonic commercial jet since the Concorde, which ceased operations more than 50 years ago. The company's founder, Blake Scholl, pursued a vision that initially seemed unrealistic, yet gained traction after securing a remarkable $5 billion in letters of intent from major airlines, notably Virgin Atlantic. This milestone showcased the potential and demand for supersonic travel, despite skepticism surrounding the project. The vision stems from a desire to reduce flight times significantly, promising a journey from New York to London in just over three hours.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode