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Transcript

The $Billion VTOL Startup That Crashed: Lessons from Lilium

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at an Electric VTOL Startup's Spectacular Implosion

Join Seve and Matt as they dive deep into the incredible story of Lilium, the billion-dollar electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) startup that promised to revolutionize air travel—and then spectacularly crashed.

In this eye-opening episode, you'll discover:

  • The shocking moment a multi-million dollar prototype caught fire

  • How startup culture clashed with aerospace engineering

  • The critical importance of rapid iteration in high-stakes technology

  • Why being caught between "startup" and "aerospace company" can be fatal

  • Insider stories from ground zero of an ambitious technological moonshot

Matt shares firsthand experiences from his time as a mechanical engineer at Lilium, revealing:

  • The challenges of designing ultra-lightweight aircraft components

  • The complex world of aerospace prototyping

  • How a single patent can emerge from near-disaster

  • The psychological challenges of working in a high-pressure startup environment

Whether you're an engineer, entrepreneur, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers a gripping narrative of innovation, ambition, and the razor-thin line between breakthrough and failure.

Warning: This podcast сontains explosive (literally!) engineering stories and startup drama that you won't find anywhere else.

Timestamps:

00:00 Claude 3.7 Sonnet

13:50 Lilium Story