You Can't Lose! Solid Diagonal Line Up: Anthony Colangelo & MECO's origin story
May 22, 2025
In this lively chat, Anthony Colangelo, partner at Pine Works and host of the space podcast Main Engine Cut Off, shares his dual journey as an iOS developer and passionate space podcaster. He recounts the origin of MECO, driven by the desire for authentic space analysis post-Falcon 9 landing. Anthony emphasizes the power of genuine content over algorithmic growth and reflects on the evolution of his shows, including the shift to Off-Nominal's live format. A true testament to balancing career, family, and creative passion!
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Web Dev Roots Shaped His Career
- Anthony described his early web-dev career from Happy Cog to Big Cartel and freelance work on apps like Dark Sky and Toyota projects.
- He used that experience to form Pineworks and stay a generalist across web and native app projects.
NASA Social Sparked The Podcast
- Anthony attended a NASA Social event in 2014 and realized space coverage lacked strong opinionated analysis.
- That visit and later SpaceX milestones pushed him to start the Main Engine Cut Off podcast in April 2016.
Opinion-Focused Coverage Fills A Gap
- Anthony positioned Main Engine Cut Off as opinion and analysis about rockets, business, and policy rather than pure science coverage.
- That framing filled a niche and shaped the show's voice and audience.
