EP 11 — World View’s Ryan Hartman on Envisioning a Radically Improved Future in the DIB
On this week's episode of the DIB Innovators podcast, David speaks to Ryan Hartman, President and CEO of World View. The conversation explores Ryan's military background, highlighting how his experiences in the Navy and Air Force shaped his leadership style. They also discuss the importance of effective communication and servant leadership in corporate success.
Ryan shares impactful stories that emphasize the significance of a purpose-driven mission at World View. He explains how stratospheric balloons function and what their clients use them for, highlighting World View's focus on enhancing customer missions and their engagement with the defense industrial base.
Topics discussed:
- Ryan Hartman's military background in the Navy and Air Force and the influence of those experiences on Ryan's leadership style.
- The importance of effective communication and crew or team coordination.
- What has shaped the purpose-driven leadership at World View, including stories illustrating the impact of purpose on company culture
- World View's focus on enhancing customer missions and their engagement with the defense industrial base
- Technical challenges and operational efficiency in stratospheric ballooning.
- The potential evolution of stratospheric ballooning in commercial and security applications
Guest Quotes:
“And those words ‘change the course of history’ came from an email I received from one of our customers, a general that was in the field, who sent me an email that simply said, I can't tell you why and I can't provide any specifics, but your team and your technology changed the course of history today.”
“One thing was constant, and that was just crew coordination and communication. Right. Everybody had a role, and those roles were only fully satisfied if you were properly communicating. And in some pretty intense moments, I learned how communication was key.”
“And by being able to precisely control our altitude, we can stay in a 40 kilometer radius area, as an example, for ten continuous days. You can't do that with space. You can't do that with airborne assets. You can only do that from the stratosphere.”
“I do not believe that it's just a mistake or a balloon gone rogue. So I think what it validated for all of us is that the stratosphere is now a contested domain.”
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