How A SpaceX Engineer & Zach Dell Built Their $4B Empire

Season 3 Episode 5: 2 months ago, we met this wildly ambitious duo in Austin, Texas. Welcome inside the world of Base Power… In this episode, we dive into why an ex-SpaceX engineer & Thrive capital investor left their jobs & raised over $1.3B to try replace America’s stale energy giants. Their goal? Do what SpaceX did to NASA, Anduril to Lockheed: force innovation. How? By unleashing a cult of speed and self-funded R&D which focuses on better products, not relying on government entrenchment. Yes, a lot of ambition. And what do they have to show for it? Find out in the video. Enjoy :) We cover: 0:00 Meet Base Power: The $4B Startup Taking on America's Energy Giants 1:16 America's Energy Crisis: How The Grid Came 4 Minutes From Collapse 1:56 Zach: Why America Desperately Needs A SpaceX for Energy 3:25 Justin Explain's Their Battery Installation 4:14 What Thrive Capital Liked in Zach & Justin (feat. Avery Klemmer, Investor) 5:16 How Justin & Zach Met? (Anduril Factory Tour) 6:32 Zach’s Secret Co-founder Test on Justin 7:20 How Base Build Their Competitive MOAT... 10:34 Justin: “Everything you do more than once is a factory” 11:17 Zach: This Is How To raise $1.3B from Tier-1 Funds... 13:38 How to Build An Elite Team & Culture 14:26 Zach: "I'm Never Stoked To Fire People, But I will say this..." 15:33 The Personal Cost of Being An Entrepreneur 16:35 Energy, China and America’s future 18:22 Unpacking The Chip on Zach's Shoulder 19:13 Zach: “I Am Not the CEO This Company Needs in 5 Years” 19:49 Sachin & Adam: Our 3 Biggest Takeaways Base Power: https://x.com/basepowerco Zach Dell: https://x.com/ZachBDell Justin Lopas: https://x.com/JLopas - Thanks to our sponsor Notion for supporting our mission of telling technology stories that matter. They are a significant reason why this is possible. Sign up below for 6 months free of Notion for Startups! https://ntn.so/sachin&adam - JOIN OUR COMMUNITY LinkedIn 🚀:   / the-sachin-and-adam-show   🐦 X: https://x.com/Sachin_and_Adam 📸 Instagram:   / sachinandadam   About us We are two best friends, trying to build a community around in-depth interviews and short documentaries with the best minds in technology and startups. Through bold storytelling and candid conversations, we explore how visionary thinkers are shaping a positive future. The best way to support is subscribing, truly it makes all the difference for us 💙