Jonathan Lacoste is an Investor at Space.VC, a Venture Capital firm he started in 2021 after having founded & sold Jebbit (a company focused on aggregating & analyzing user data online for businesses for advertising).We talk about how his experience at Jebbit translates to the Earth Observation industry, why he moved from founding to investing and the learning-in-public approach he's taking. —Episode Sponsors:Radiant Earth Foundation: Apply for the 2022 Radiant MLHub Impact Award for agriculture-related applications for Africa - with a $5,000 cash prize.Element84Dan Pilone’s appearance on the podcast—About Jonathan:TwitterLinkedInSpace.VCShownotes:Tomorrow.io“Why I’m starting a space fund”: Jonathan’s blog post on his decision to start Space.VCPixxelPrevious episode with Jeff Crusey, another Venture Capitalist in the space industrySettlers of CatanBooks & Podcast recommendations:All In PodcastAcquired PodcastSmartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success by Shane SnowWhen Jesus Came to Harvard: Making Moral Choices Today by Harvey CoxTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction02:45 - Episode starts, Jonathan presents himself05:25 - Jonathan’s first experience: 10 years of Jebbit08:50 - Finding a problem in the industry12:10- Coming to a problem with a Beginner’s Mind14:45 - Keeping a Beginner’s Mindset16:50 - Choosing what to do after Jebbit22:10 - Transferable & valuable skills25:20- The space industry is 1st time founders28:20 - Attracting more founders from outside the space industry31:50 - Making space un-sexy38:15 - How companies market themselves (and to whom)40:55 - Creating a VC fund instead of starting a new company44:00 - Continuing to learn46:25 - Building in public51:50 - Keeping up with new companies & Networking56:25 - Deciding who to invest in59:45 - Why Jonathan decided to invest in Pixxel1:03:45 - Software vs Hardware companies1:08:00 - Disagreeing with respect1:13:35 - Jonathan’s take on the wave of companies going public1:19:35 - Dealing with impostor syndrome1:24:56 - Being wrong1:29:30 - Settlers of Catan1:32:00 - Books & Podcast recommendationsFeel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Jeff Crusey is the Investment Director of Seraphim Space, an investing firm specialised in the space industry. They have invested in mulitple Earth Observation companies including Spire, Iceye, HawkEye 360 and Pixxel.This episode in many ways serves as an introduction to investing - specifically Venture Capital (VC in short) - applied to the world of Earth Observation: How funds are raised, how VCs decided who to invest in and how they do it.—Episode Sponsors:Radiant Earth Foundation: Apply for the 2022 Radiant MLHub Impact Award for agriculture-related applications for Africa - with a $5,000 cash prize.Element84Dan Pilone’s appearance on the podcast—About Jeff:TwitterLinkedInSeraphim Space Shownotes:Ursa SpaceJeff’s tweet having invested in 20+ space companies“Most Microsoft Flight Simulator players flew home in first journey”Books & Podcast recommendationsSam Harris podcast: Making SenseLex Fridman podcastGödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter Time-stamps:00:00 - Introduction04:30 - Conversation starts - Jeff presents himself06:56 - Jeff’s early days08:48 - Climate Tech in 200812:16 - How Jeff got into investing15:12 - Skills that make a good investor18:05 - Venture Capital investing at a high level23:31 - Finding companies to invest in27:58 - Weighing risk before investing28:49 - Investing in the Space industry31:18 - Early projects Jeff invested in in 201232:39 - Investing in Earth Observation36:39 - Data companies & Analytics companies: different models39:05 - A centralized “Search Engine” of geospatial data41:53 - Is Google Earth Engine this centralized search engine?47:12 - Is Earth Observation a giant House of Cards?49:16 - Metaverse: one of potential huge commercial application54:04 - Who would build & own a metaverse55:37 - Monitoring vs Mapping58:20 - Weather doesn’t make it in most people’s “Earth Observation” list1:03:15 - Projects that aren’t suited for Venture Capital1:05:10 - Analytics applications from an investment point of view1:07:33 - Where does the venture money come from?1:10:50 - Investing in long term projects1:13:53 - The exit process1:14:05 - Exists in Earth Observation: Valuations & Bubbles1:19:42 - The impact of Starship1:21:55 - Book & Podcast recommendations Feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

A year ago, I started this podcast, not knowing where it would go. 18 interviews later, I'm more excited than ever to keep doing more of these, and get even better at it. This episode is also on Youtube if you'd like to see the video too Reach out and let me know who you'd like to see on the podcast!- On the website- On Twitter Timestamps:00:00 - Episode also on YouTube00:18 - Introduction00:41 - Quick look back on 1 year02:14 - Future of Minds Behind Maps03:18 - The Goal of this podcast04:22 - Who would you like on the podcast?05:53 - Thanks07:08 - Working with Sponsors09:16 - Conclusion Thanks for listening!

Jakub Dziwisz is the founder & CEO of Orbify, a company that is attempting to simplify the process of building Earth Observation solutions for any application. —Episode Sponsors:Radiant Earth Foundation: Apply for the 2022 Radiant MLHub Impact Award for agriculture-related applications for Africa - with a $5,000 cash prize.Element84Dan Pilone’s appearance on the podcast—About Jakub:TwitterLinkedInOrbifyShownotes:OrbifyBook & Media recomendation:You’re already listening to the first one ;-)MapscapingThe Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos by Christian DavenportThe Case for Space by Robert Zubrin9 Lies about Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World by Marcus Buckingham, Ashley GoodallTwenty Minute VCTime stamps:00:00 - Introduction02:48 - Episode begins, Jakub presents himself09:40 - Jakub’s first few jobs: Travel Agencies19:10 - Travel Agencies used to look a lot like the Earth Observation industry today21:48 - Jakub’s entry in Earth Observation25:28 - A Shopify analogy to self-service31:30 - Orbify35:40 - Specializing versus Diversifying43:31 - Rethinking User Interfaces45:50 - A SaaS-like business model51:52 - Some of Orbify’s current clients54:50 - Jakub’s point of view coming from outside Earth Observation59:00 - Keeping a fresh eye1:01:27 - How much programming does Jakub still do?1:05:26 - Book & Podcast recommendationFeel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Jacopo Margutti is a Data Scientist at 510, the Data branch of the Netherlands Red Cross which uses remote sensing, ground measured data and insights from social media to understand & react to humanitarian crisis. During this conversation, we touch on the the work the Red Cross does around impact forecasting of typhoons, how they have helped covid vaccine distribution, but also how to work on a tight budget to provide the maximum amount of help. Jacopo talks about the desire to move towards digital aid - sending money digitally - over physical goods and what the undesired consequences of humanitarian aid might be. ---Sponsor of this episode: Element84Ep16: Conversation with Dan Pilone, CEO & co-founder of Element84Element84 website---Jacopo MarguttiLinkedIn Time-stamps:03:07 - Conversation begins, Jacopo presents himself05:30 - Being in the Netherlands Red Cross Offices07:55 - 510: The Data Team of the Netherlands Red Cross09:50 - Example of applications: Natural Disaster Impact Forecasting13:09 - Timeline of work on a Typhoon event17:00 - The 4 Disaster Phases19:15 - Working with satellite imagery providers23:19 - Understanding what people need, not only where24:45 - Insights from the ground compared to remote sensing31:30 - Effective Altruism: Trying to do the most “good”32:45 - Leveraging Social Media data38:35 - Measuring the impact of the Red Cross interventions40:05 - Challenges of working with data in help of far away locations43:08 - Longer Term Impact Work: Delivering Digital Aid50:20 - Financial aspect of Humanitarian Aid53:30 - Deciding what to work on, who to help and who not to58:15 - The Importance and Need of Volunteers1:01:20 - Impact of Covid on the Red Cross1:04:19 - Jacopo’s journey, from Particle Physics to the Red Cross1:12:12 - Rounding off, Books & Podcasts Recommendations Shownotes:510: Data Branch of the Netherlands Red CrossBooks & Podcast Recommendations:Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems by Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther DufloHidden Brain by NPRVolunteer to 510:Through their websiteReach out directly to Jacopo Please feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Dan Pilone is the CEO and co-founder of Element84, a software engineering company focused on building geospatial solutions at scale. We touch on Dan's experience working on geospatial software engineer problems and how those have changed over the past decade. We discuss the work Element84 has done to contribute to AWS's Open Data program, as well the journey of co-founding a company with Dan's wife Tracey, and how they're thinking of growth through a people-focused mindset.---Find previous episodes and other show notes at mindsbehindmaps.comIf you'd like to help support the podcast, please consider leaving a review directly on the website, or on Apple Podcast. This helps showcase the value of the podcast when reaching out to new potential guests. ---About Dan:LinkedInTwitterElement84 website Time-stamps:03:16 - Conversation starts, Dan present himself07:03 - Presenting Element8409:33 - Element84’s early days - Moving towards geospatial over time12:16 - Problems change over time16:15 - Scale changes too20:48 - Contributing to Amazon’s Open Data Registry26:16 - Making Sentinel data more accessible34:30 - Getting nerdy: What do Dask & Xarray mean for the future of geospatial data processing40:16 - Moving towards more layers of abstraction41:52 - Business model behind different open data contributions45:11 - A game theory approach to Open Source50:28 - The Openness of Geospatial compared to other fields56:16 - Co-founding a company as a couple1:04:21 - Preventing people “careering out” of the company1:11:19 - People-focus growth1:16:58 - Element84’s hiring process1:21:14 - Changing culture as the company grows1:27:54 - How Dan’s role has changed over the years1:30:47 - The relevance (or not) of keeping a foot in the code as a CEO1:33:29 - Opportunity cost from Dan’s point of view1:36:34 - Book & podcast recommendations Show notes:Earth SearchBook & podcast recommendation:Great game of business Unlocking the Power and Profitability of Open-Book Management by  Jack Stack, Bo BurlinghamDear White Friend: The Realities of Race, the Power of Relationships and Our Path to Equity by Melvin J. Gravely IIFour Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver BurkemanManager Tools podcastTugboat GroupInterview with Dan & his wife Tracey on co-founding Element84 together Please feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

April Speight leads the Spatial Computing Cloud Advocacy team at Microsoft. This team focuses on helping developers understand technology & raise awareness, mostly with the Mixed Reality team, most famous for the HoloLens.We talk about April's work at Microsoft, but also about her journey from the the fashion industry, to entering the field of Tech in general. We touch on fashion and branding, and what the Tech world can take away from them. Finally, this is also a conversation about Augmented & Virtual Reality, on the privacy aspects of these technology and how they go hand in hand with technical literacy & education. ---Find previous episodes and other show notes at mindsbehindmaps.comIf you'd like to help support the podcast, please consider leaving a review directly on the website, or on Apple Podcast. This helps showcase the value of the podcast when reaching out to new potential guests. --- About April:WebsiteTwitterLinkedIn Time stamps:02:37 - Conversation begins, April presents herself6:25 - Aprils’ journey from Fashion to Tech18:22 - Entering the Tech industry with no Tech experience27:25 - Dealing with impostor syndrome30:48 - April’s current role: Spatial Computing Cloud Advocacy Lead at Microsoft33:27 - Defining Mixed Reality35:02 - The impact of covid on the public’s perception of Augmented & Virtual Reality39:02 - Building virtual worlds44:53 - Should we implement limitations on virtual environments?47:02 - Privacy implications in virtual spaces54:47 - How should users & developers think about privacy?1:01:23 - Digital Literacy1:04:52 - What Tech can learn from the fashion industry1:10:12 - The Importance of Branding1:13:35 - Creating content for developers1:18:04 - Media & Book recommendation Shownotes:Microsoft HoloLensMedia Recommendations:Business of FashionUnpacking Fashion’s Latest Waves of NFT SalesThe Little PrinceLingoPie Please feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Dr Beth Tellman is the Chief Science Officer at Cloud2Street, a company focused on flood monitoring using mostly satellite imagery. They recently published their “Global Flood Database” - featured in Nature  - containing 15 years of data on 913 floods with human settlement maps across 169 countries.In this episode we talk about Beth’s journey to starting Cloud2Street, what being a scientists means to her, as well as what the impact of the Global Flood Database has been. We talk on what one needs to do to actually have an impact; the role data science modelling but also insurance both have and how they work hand in hand. We touch on the open-science approach Cloud2Street is taking, all the while being a privately held for-profit company.---Find previous episodes and other show notes at mindsbehindmaps.comIf you'd like to help me out, please consider leaving a review directly on the website, or on Apple Podcast.---About Beth:TwitterLinkedInCloud2StreetTime stamps3:27 - Conversation begins, Beth presents herself7:55 - Why be a scientist?10:57 - Cloud2Street12:19 - Building a company as a scientist16:37 - Global Flood Database20:41 - Impact doesn’t only come from better algorithms24:12 - Impact of publishing the Global Flood Database28:37 - Creating the Database33:30 - Why insurance is important39:58 - Making sure Data & Maps are actually useful45:21 - How accurate does it need to be to solve the problem?50:07 - Finding the right metric54:42 - Cloud2Street’s Business Model1:03:48 - Open Science in a private company1:13:33 - Using / Finding the best data for the job1:20:39 - Communicating limitations1:24:02 - Book recommendationsShownotes:Global Flood DatabaseARC: African Risk CapacityIEEE Podcast episode with Beth: Down to Earth S2:EP2Media recommendations:Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas PikettySeeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed by James C. ScottWinners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand GiridharadasThis Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi KleinPlease feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Keith Masback was CEO of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation for over a decade and is now an Angel Investor and Advisor to multiple start-ups, mostly related to Earth Observation & Remote Sensing. Keith started in the US Army, working as an Infantry Officer, and went on to join the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.We talk about Keith's perspective both in the military and in the civilian world of Earth Observation, or as he points out, Geospatial Intelligence. We also touch on what Angel Investing & Advising is and why he does it, as well as talk about the role of leader he's taken on multiple times. ---Find previous episodes and other shownotes at mindsbehindmaps.com---About Keith Masback:LinkedInTwitter Time stamps:02:05 - Episode starts, Keith introduces himself10:00 - Keith’s introduction to geospatial in the military14:00 - Learning from the people you lead20:00 - Operationalizing imagery intelligence26:10 - Building trust to change mentalities and processes35:40 - Moving into advising start ups39:10 - What does an advisor do?46:05 - Deciding who & what to invest in51:00 - Keeping an open mind to opportunities54:05 - "Geospatial Intelligence"59:25 - The value proposition brought by Planet1:01:50 - Keeping up with the news1:05:15 - Keith’s videos on explaining satellite images with WIRED1:10:30 - Media Recommendations1:14:50 - One last question: Are we lacking "getting mud on our boots” today? Shownotes:United States Geospatial Intelligence FoundationHermeusBlogpost: The totally made-up word that’s changing the worldWired videos:Spy Satellite Expert Explains How to Analyze Satellite ImagerySpy Satellite Expert Breaks Down Surveillance Scenes From Movies & TVInternational Spy MuseumMedia recommendation:GettysburgKiller AngelsA Bridge Too Far Please feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastWebsite

Tyler Erickson is a Developer Advocate at Google, more specifically working on Google Earth Engine - a platform providing access to many different Earth Observation datasets merged together - allowing users to focus more time on building their solutions.We talk about the importance of curiosity across fields to foster innovation, go behind the scenes of Google Earth Engine, and explore OpenET, an application Tyler has worked on that leverages Earth Engine. About Tyler:LinkedInTwitterShownotes:Range by David EpsteinAmerican Geophysical UnionRebecca MooreGoogle Earth EngineNASA Processing LevelsOpenETBook & Media recommendations:Bicycle Diaries by David Byrnebikepacking.comJupyter BookFastPagesThe Evolution of Trust by Nicky Case Time stamps:03:10 - Conversation starts, Tyler introduces himself8:45 - Generalists or Specialists13:30 - Fostering innovations & ideas across fields18:45 - Incentivizing sharing in research21:45 - Reproduce & Replicate30:00 - Tyler’s work: Developer Advocate at Google Earth Engine34:20 - A Short History of Google Earth Engine40:40 - Why did people use it?45:00 - Behind the scenes: Python & JavaScript52:20 - Opinionated Data Processing59:50 - Working with a community1:03:30 - Commercial partnerships1:18:00 - OpenET1:27:10 - Building a solution that solves specific problems1:33:45 -Benefits & Drawbacks of Story Telling1:42:00 - Book & Media Recommendations Please feel free to reach out!My TwitterFor news about the podcastReach out by email: minds.behind.maps@gmail.com