Space to Grow, with Matt Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau

This week on Pathfinder, we’re joined by Matt Weinzierl, Chair of the MBA Program and Professor at Harvard Business School, and Brendan Rosseau, a member of the strategy team for launch at Blue Origin. Together, they’ve co-authored Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier, a new book exploring the history, key players, and economic forces driving the momentum behind the space industry.We discuss:The evolution of space economics and how government-private sector dynamics are changingThe role of NASA as an anchor customer and whether the model has limitsThe rise of defense-focused pivots in commercial space companiesMarket competition and whether we’re seeing monopolization in spaceThe economic case for lunar activity, space stations, and emerging industriesThe biggest risks that could stall commercial space progressTheir book launches on February 25, and this conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in the economic forces shaping the future of space. You can order here! • Chapters •00:00 Intro04:00 HBS’s Space Program06:36 An introduction to “Space to Grow”08:50 The shift from space to defense13:02 What to expect from the book16:56 Space competition or monopolization?21:52 How classic economic principles apply to space29:24 Are we transitioning away from NASA to anchor customers?33:36 Does space have the right financing structures in place to build this industry?38:47 Economic case for the Moon (Mars?)44:16 Viability of space stations48:22 What space industries have the best economic potential in the next couple decades?52:32 Biggest impediment to the space industry55:43 Key takeaways from “Space to Grow”59:05 Matt and Brendan's favorite books01:01:13 Where to find Matt and Brendan • Show notes •Space to Grow — https://www.amazon.com/Space-Grow-Unlocking-Economic-Frontier/Mo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/