Cold Star Project

Sales trainer Wes Schaeffer is back on the Cold Star Project, and our topic is his free 12 Weeks To Peak sales accountability program. Host Jason Kanigan participated in 2022 Q4's version and 12 Weeks To Peak has been re-released for 2023. The two sales trainers share elements and results of this free accountability program for founders and salespeople. Come along with us and find out if it's right for you!   USEFUL LINKS:   12 Weeks To Peak website: https://info.thesaleswhisperer.com/12-weeks-to-peak  Jason Kanigan's Effective Prospecting video series: https://jasonkanigan.com/ytep  Past appearances of Wes Schaeffer on the Cold Star Project:   "What CRM Should I Get?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2JAgKPzHY  "Process Before Login" (choosing a CRM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRE5MYudGQM  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Past Chief Software Officer of the US Space Force and Air Force Nic Chaillan is back on the Cold Star Project. Over the past year, Nic has developed his own learning platform, Learn With Nic. He has also hosted his own show, In The Nic Of Time. Host Jason Kanigan asks Nic: What have you learned in running your own show, In The Nic Of Time? What have you learned about the general state of software security in the US from your guests? Did this confirm what you already were aware of, or did they add any detail? If you could wave a magic wand and have leaders and developers realize some fundamentals of DevSecOps that are practical to implement as well as effective, what would a couple of those be? Are you still convinced we’re lagging and that China is going to overtake and “beat” us? How do you define that: simply economically, or technologically, militarily? What can we do about it, and are you seeing any evidence of leadership attempting to take action? I hear more and more Americans becoming concerned about TikTok, even leaders in fields I thought would be far away from the edges of national security. I believe we should be more explicit about what can be done with TikTok, beyond “they’re collecting all our data!”. Have your thoughts about TikTok evolved over the past year?  What’s your opinion about the InfraGard hack? To me this seems like “the security guys got hacked”. What could have been done to stop this from happening? Is it symptomatic of a condition or just bad luck? What other kinds of software-based platforms should we be worried about the security of?  Teach us a couple of DevSecOps terms that are probably new to us.    USEFUL LINKS:   Learn With Nic platform: https://www.learnwithnic.com/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Former Air Force Lt. Colonel and instructor Glenn Carlson was president of the electronic warfare industry's Assocation of Old Crows in 2022. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks AOC President Glenn Carlson:  -  Tell us about how the AOC started Tell us about your background, how you joined the Old Crows, and how you became its president  What’s your mission? How do you stay energized and sharp after 36+ years in the role as a member, board member, and president? How did the Journal of Electromagnetic Dominance come about? What’s its purpose and what involvement do you have with it? What is the state of electronic warfare in US defense? What impact does the AOC have that is likely out of the public eye? What does the AOC offer its members?    USEFUL LINKS:   Glenn Carlson LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-powder-carlson-ba24a614/  Association of Old Crows website: https://www.crows.org/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Mike Read is in the role of Manager, ISS Business and Economic Development Office at NASA Johnson Space Center. But what does the International Space Station have to do with the commercialization of space? Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Mike: You have a non-engineering background yet are in the space field. Tell us about how this happened What is the scope of your responsibilities in the ISS Business and Economic Development Office?  What constitutes a success over the period of a year?  Can you share some recent wins? How long is the ISS expected to be available? If/when commercial operators have private space stations in orbit, is NASA expecting to simply be a customer? Who do you want to speak with? What makes a good discussion or project for you?   Useful Links:   Houston, We Have a Podcast 2019 interview with Mike Read: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/space-tourism-and-commercialization  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

High performance culture expert Paul Rulkens returns to the Cold Star Project, and this time we're discussing how to manage smart people. In "brain" organizations, people have strong opinions and they're often right. So how do you lead these intelligent, educated and strong willed people to achieve great results?   Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Agrippa Consulting founder Paul Rulkens:   What does “High Performance Culture” mean from Paul Rulkens’ perspective? How do you know when you have it / what’s the target to be aiming for? What does a “success environment” really mean? (is your performance management geared towards accelerating the best, or is it designed to gradually improve the average? This distinction is the secret to creating outliers.)   Regarding managing smart people… What % would you typically find “smart people” in organizations? Is it the same as “high performers”?  “Only small chunks of your own time matter”--let’s discuss.   What about people who will say something like, “I line up my tasks and appointments so that I have maximum impact every moment I can? Surely larger amounts of my time and attention matter more than that!”  Assuming we have an 80/20 Rule application here (maybe it’s more like 98/2) how do we apply this as leaders of smart people? What circumstances demonstrate this concept?   When you don’t know as much about the subject matter as the smart people around you, what should you do? How can you pull the best out of your smart team?    As the leader, how can you add value to verify the smart people on the team are thinking accurately? What are your three platinum questions when you lack knowledge of any subject matter, and how do you use them? If you’re not a subject matter expert, what can you coach your team on? What else can you do?   Smart people often disagree. What should you do as a leader if your team has disagreements?  Regarding Succession planning with smart individuals, what are the 5 actions you can take when important people leave?   USEFUL LINKS:   Past appearance of Paul Rulkens on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/yts02e56paulrulkens  Paul Rulkens website: https://www.paulrulkens.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell is back on the Cold Star Project, and our topic is space infrastructure. From the Deep Space Network though JWST and Starlink, host Jason Kanigan and Dr. McDowell discuss what our experience so far has been and what our priorities in the field should be. Cold Star Tech founder Jason Kanigan asks Dr. Jonathan McDowell about Starlink altitude charts, recent discoveries regarding black holes, new space technologies, how JWST missions are determined, and more! USEFUL LINKS: JWST Observing Schedule: https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/observing-schedules Jonathan's Space Report website: https://www.planet4589.org/space/jsr/jsr.html Dr. McDowell's previous appearance on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/auS02E24JonathanMcDowell Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

CEO of Compass Technology Group LLC Becky Schultz joins host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project, and our topic of discussion is commercialization of products developed through SBIR/STTR grant funding. Jason asks Becky: Tell us about your background and its relevance to SBIR/STTR awards   What was your initial intention in getting grant money: to develop tech/IP, or move towards commercializing a product? Why?   Share your experience with the grant awards process…quirks, takeaways, frustrations What problem were you solving and how did you know the market would be interested in buying?   Your focus on commercialization ⏤ success stories, struggles (supply chain, scaling manufacturing processes?) What do you recommend for those seeking grant funding, in terms of purpose/focus/approach/expectation. Useful Links:   Compass Technology Group LLC website: https://compasstech.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

CU Aerospace President David Carroll kicks off a new season of the Cold Star Project as we discuss the challenges of productizing a new space tech invention. After the struggle of winning an SBIR, then developing the technology, what are the hurdles to commercializing the result?   Host Jason Kanigan asks Dr. Carroll:   What problem were you aiming to solve when you applied for the specific SBIR we're discussing today? Who was the customer or target user? How did you discover that a focus on having a customer was critical and a good starting point for tech development? What challenges did you have in getting the award, and then running the program? What conditions or advantages does having a partner eg. U of Illinois bring to the table? What have you seen in terms of grant awards that has made you scratch your head?    USEFUL LINKS:   CU Aerospace website: https://cuaerospace.com/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Chris Stott has created several successful space businesses and organizations. Yet when he first told me about his stealth project a few months ago, I was more than a little skeptical. Could data storage on the Moon actually work?   Now that Lonestar Lunar has come out of stealth mode, Chris can explain what the company is doing and why. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Chris Stott: What problem are you solving? Who will use it? How did the business case present itself? How was the executive team chosen? Why is it cheaper to build a data center on the Moon rather than on Earth? What are the steps involved in implementing your solution? Who are you dependent upon eg. launch provider to put equipment there? Do you have sites chosen? What improvements do you need to make to commercial data storage & transmission equipment to have it survive this environment? In your other life at Mansat you’ve developed considerable competency in the field of spectrum. Given the volume of data I imagine you’ll be moving back and forth, is there any extra requirement? How should early adopters contact you?  USEFUL LINKS:   Lonestar Lunar website: https://www.lonestarlunar.com/  Previous appearances by Chris Stott on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/chrisstottcoldstar  Playlist: https://www.coldstartech.com/play  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Marco Cross recently completed his Masters degree in space engineering at Brown University, and is now Engineering & Commercialization Advisor at Cold Star Technologies. His experience includes developing and commercalizing products, chief engineer on satellite design projects, and commercial space launch.   Host Jason Kanigan and Marco Cross discuss:   Topic: SBUDNIC satellite Mission overview Learnings from building a multidisciplinary team  Learnings from super lean/super fast construction   Topic: Lightweight hardware prototyping/process Industrial design process in the context of mechanical/space engineering Use what’s available, not what’s theoretically best Prototyping always starts with good learnings up front -I’ve seen a lot of people fail because they get super far down the process without front-end validation   Topic: Selling space, talking about the dream of exploration Why selling the idea of space is important NASA budgets are shrinking relative to GDP Is space recession proof?   Topic: Future of space engineering as I see it Smallsats take over large satellites More COTS -Constellation-based sensing overtakes large singular sensing systems, like JWST Machine learning processing necessary for interpolation of data Future areas that need articulation/opportunities for innovation in space.    USEFUL LINKS:   SBUDNIC article by Brown University: https://engineering.brown.edu/news/2022-05-16/sbudnic-satellite-launch  Transporter Launch video: https://youtu.be/CAgiFU3NAo0  Marco’s video "Space Engineering Is Hard And Here’s Why": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNGZYQvCfUM   OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Space industry analyst Nicholas Borroz moved from America to New Zealand to get a PhD in International Business, and ultimately start a space consultancy. But how did he break into the field, and what has he learned about the business of space--and the approach of most space sector companies to it? Space business owners, students and inventors seeking venture capital will find important information in this discussion. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Nick: How did you end up in NZ? Peace Corps, doctorate … Tell us about your journey in the space industry What sorts of services do you offer at Rotoiti? And also, importantly, what you don’t do; What sorts of clients do you work for: segment, geography, and sector); How did you choose these areas of service focus? What are some common difficulties you notice space industry market actors facing? How can NZ/Oz companies & US companies work together on space projects?   USEFUL LINKS:   Rotoiti website: https://rotoiti.space/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

In this special episode Dr. Gordon Roesler, past DARPA Program Manager and president of Robots In Space, joins Cold Star Tech's Jason Kanigan to elaborate on his idea of a "Space Superhighway". We have logistics systems on Earth, and they provide teremendous economic value: how can we have a similar system in space?   USEFUL LINKS:   Dr. Roesler's article on The Hill: https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/576673-lets-build-a-superhighway-in-space/ White House NSTC paper: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/04-2022-ISAM-National-Strategy-Final.pdf OSTP request for comment: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/04/2022-09549/notice-of-request-for-comment Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/scheduleonce

We are simply not as "science-y" as we think we are. People presented to us as experts, precedent, and emotions non-factually impact our decisions--and can put the wrong people behind bars for a long time. Fashion of the moment, storytelling, and "they way we've always done things" can be enemies of improvement. Do you believe you're immune to such influences?   Lt. Col. Arthur Alphin is a firearms & ballistics expert and weapons systems engineer. In this role he is called upon in court to demonstrate how the opposing side's so-called "scientific" tests, representation of events and other issues in shooting cases simply aren't true. I discovered Art as the creator of a West Point video training series about weapons, and ask him here to elaborate on his experience and observations concerning the validity of court proceedings when it comes to shootings. You likely be extremely surprised and disturbed.   USEFUL LINKS:   Antiaircraft round screenshot referred to around 37:00: https://coldstarproject.com/alphinscreenshot Arthur Alphin's website https://arthuralphin.com/  Accompanying this discussion I recommend forensic criminologist Dr. Ron Martinelli's appearance on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/ytS02E02RonMartinelli  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Experienced space startup founder Matthew Travis returns to the Cold Star Project. What has his journey and pivot been like as he finds product-to-market fit in the space industry? What need is there for environmentally friendly propulsion for space launch and spacecraft? Host Jason Kanigan asks Matt: What indicators have you found that point to a need for environmentally friendly propulsion technology for space launch? Who’s your customer? How did you focus on nanosatellites as your target market? How will this technology impact the marketplace and the planet’s ecosystem? Tell us about your journey in developing this technology. What R&D hurdles and successes have you experienced? When it comes to the operational areas of Sales and Production, what have you learned? Especially since this is not your first space company.    USEFUL LINKS:   NASA’s Green Propulsion Roadmap: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20180006412/downloads/20180006412.pdf  The European Union is moving toward banning hydrazine. Ref: REACH https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/ESA_responding_to_EU_s_REACH_chemical_law  Aphelion Aerospace website: https://aphelionaerospace.com/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Space industry analyst Chris Quilty joins host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project to discuss what makes a good startup in the field. As a 20+ year veteran of space and satellite analysis, Chris founded Quilty Analytics in 2016. Jason asks Chris: What was it that made you realize opening your own firm was a better idea after 20 years of working for another firm? You speak about benchmarking in your profile ⏤ what indicators do you look for that demonstrate a good investment? Are space startups offering the exit opportunities investors want? How far are we from having a true “commercial space industry”? What’s your opinion of SPACs and how gun-shy do you believe investors will be going forward? You’ve stated that you believe the regulatory environment for space firms has become more favorable. Can you explain what has been happening and factors contributing to this? How is the defense and intelligence community reacting to the emergence of a commercial space industry.  Are they resisting or embracing the change Are you seeing out-of-sector venture capital more willing to fund space startups? What should these VCs be cautious about and look for as positives?    USEFUL LINKS:   Quilty Analytics website: https://www.quiltyanalytics.com/  Screenshot of space art: https://coldstarproject.com/quiltyart  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous

Venture capitalist Adam Anderson got into the space industry by way of cybersecurity. He knows what it takes to start up successful businesses--and when to get out of your own way as the founder so the business can grow further. Host Jason Kanigan asks Adam: How did you get involved in space investing? What was your journey to get to now? What level have you been involved in in space investing? (company size, maturity level at start/end, pre/post revenue) Has there been an evolution in your choices?  What “brutal lessons” have you learned by being a space industry investor? What’s the most frustrating thing you keep seeing?  -  How important is the tech when the leadership of a startup is pitching you? What’s the thing you keep banging your head against the wall about, wishing people would have ready to bring to you when they come to pitch? Is there a consistently encountered hurdle when moving from pre- to post-revenue? Anything blocking the move from zero to one? What have you noticed that indicates to you a startup team will be successful? And a failure? What is present or missing? From your perspective, is there light at the end of the tunnel⏤is it likely that space industry startups will begin to be developed and funded any time soon as, say, SaaS companies do today?   USEFUL LINKS:   Ansuz Capital website: https://ansuzcapital.com/  OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org  Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb  Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous