What can we learn from the collapse of two billion-dollar Deep Tech unicorns? James Arnold held senior strategy and operations roles at both Lilium and Arrival - European companies that raised over a billion dollars each, employed thousands of engineers, and still ended in insolvency.

This conversation reveals the hidden pitfalls that destroy Deep Tech companies: why rapid team growth kills startup agility, how too much capital corrupts decision-making, and why applying software ‘blitzscaling’ to hardware development creates catastrophic risks. James provides insider insights into what actually went wrong at companies that had everything going for them - brilliant technology, massive funding, and world-class talent.

Essential listening for Deep Tech founders, investors, and anyone who wants to understand why breakthrough technology and vast resources aren’t enough to guarantee success in the lab-to-market journey.

Key Topics Covered:

- Why blitzscaling from software doesn’t work for Deep Tech hardware companies

- The hidden dangers of rapid team growth in complex engineering projects

- How vertical integration multiplies complexity and resource requirements

- The critical difference between proving you’re ‘not crazy’ vs building for investors

- Why scale models in aerospace don’t teach you about real engineering problems

- How too much capital can affect decision-making and resource allocation

- The importance of focus when developing multiple breakthrough technologies

- Finding revenue streams before your moonshot product is ready

- Leadership challenges in maintaining stakeholder confidence during long development cycles.

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Podcast Production: Beauxhaus