Skip to content
 How Planet A invests with Sam Baker  episode artwork

Mar 19, 2026 32 min

How Planet A invests with Sam Baker

from Ventures Hosted by Viraj Acharya

From the intricacies of jet engine maintenance at GE to the cutting edge of climate-tech investing, Sam Baker is on a mission to build an economy that operates within planetary boundaries. In this deep dive, the Planet A investor breaks down why the climate crisis is a solvable engineering challenge, provided we can solve the "human problem" of global collaboration. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Introduction 01:03 - Why Poland is the most bullish place for European re-industrialisation 04:45 - Breaking down the physics: How a jet engine works (Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow) 06:21 - The mechanics of Scramjets and super-high-speed propulsion 07:56 - Climate vs. Resilience: Is the crisis solvable or are we just mitigating disaster? 11:54 - Why Sam left a corporate career at GE to follow the "scientific lens" of Planet A 15:22 - The spiritual and philosophical side of being an engineer in a complex ecosystem 18:30 - The race to exit the petroleum-based society before the tipping point 20:30 - Technology vs. Humans: Why the "collaboration problem" is Sam's biggest worry 22:03 - Investigating the fusion supply chain: Tritium production and power provision 24:00 - Space tech and the planetary thesis: asteroid mining and solar sails 25:51 - Large deployable structures: Unfolding the future of orbital data centers 28:52 - China strategy: Pairing European intelligence with Chinese hardware OEMs Made possible by: Tradestars - https://tradestars.space/ventures

Episode details come from the podcast's RSS feed.

Embed this episode

Ready to play

How Planet A invests with Sam Baker

0:00 32:06

No transcript yet.

Requests help us decide what to transcribe next.

Time To Show Up Nathalie Nahai and Dr Aaron Balick Welcome to Time To Show Up, a unique podcast and video series that ventures behind the scenes of professional success, to explore how we can deploy our deepest values into our professional lives.Hosted by best-selling author, Nathalie Nahai, and renowned Psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick, we interview professionals from the worlds of music, marketing, literature and beyond, to investigate how they have manifested their visions at work and overcome significant obstacles to craft a life they love.We also take a deep dive with Hotseat interviews, a series of sessions in which we share practical insights with courageous folks who are daring to take the next step towards transforming their careers and personal lives.From these conversations, we draw out the best theories, practices, and models from psychology, behavioural science and more, to offer tangible ways in which our listeners can apply these tools in their own lives.Alongside this series, we're also launching an exciting new Explicit Hillside Ventures Shivam Patel and Joe Roberts The Hillside Ventures Podcast discusses news, economics, startups, and all the latest trends within technology and business. It features founders, experts, business leaders, and the finest minds around the world. Visit https://hillsideventures.uconn.edu/ for more details and to sign up for our newsletter and other content. Explicit Money Time Adrian Hernandez "Money Time," the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of successful entrepreneurs and business leaders to learn how they made their money, and how you can too. Hosted by Adrian Hernandez, each episode of Money Time features candid conversations with successful business people who have built their fortunes through a variety of ventures, including real estate, startups, and other innovative businesses. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business leader, Money Time is the podcast you need to take your own business to the next level. Explicit Grief & Pizza Oki Doki Digital Inc. Life and business partners Marie Poulin and Ben Borowski explore the highs and lows at the intersection of business and emotional well-being, chatting with entrepreneurs who lead their ventures with a blend of ambition and humanity. Explicit

Frequently asked questions

How long is this episode of Ventures?

This episode is 32 minutes long.

When was this Ventures episode published?

This episode was published on March 19, 2026.

Can I download this Ventures episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.