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Rocket Lab's CEO practices founder mode like Elon Musk — but he'd rather pan for gold on Earth than live on Mars
- Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, has no desire to go to space, preferring to stay within Earth's atmosphere. He enjoys flying helicopters and panning for gold in New Zealand as a way to relax. Rocket Lab competes with better-funded rivals like SpaceX, which Beck describes as its 'superpower.' The company is an 'end-to-end space company', employing over 2,000 people globally. While Elon Musk has grand plans of colonizing Mars, Beck prefers to 'dig in a creek with a spade' and search for gold as a way of relaxing.
- Rocket Lab's stock price has reached new heights following strong Q3 earnings and a deal for two missions with an undisclosed commercial satellite constellation operator. The company's partially reusable two-stage rocket vehicle, Electron, has launched 198 satellites and beat Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to orbit. Despite Rocket Lab's relatively low valuation compared to SpaceX, Beck is not fazed, preferring to focus on execution and 'the right areas.'
- Beck has a detailed morning routine that begins before 5 a.m. He starts by checking his emails and does not drink coffee. His day is dictated by the company's projects and launch schedule.
- While Beck values his management team, he prefers a hands-on leadership approach, even for 'really shitty jobs'.
- Running a rocket company is a high-pressure job as the company needs to make the right decisions both from an engineering and business standpoint. To Beck, 'running a rocket company is like running through a maze in the middle of the night'.
- Despite the competitive nature of the space industry, Beck believes that the relationship between Elon Musk and the Trump administration will not lead to any 'funny business' with SpaceX's government contracts.
- Beck describes Rocket Lab as an 'end-to-end space company', providing launch services, spacecraft, satellite components, and on-orbit management.
- Beck practices founder mode and believes in a hands-on approach, preferring to be in the thick of things himself rather than subscribing to a top-down leadership style.
- Rocket Lab's Neutron rocket, set to debut in 2025, represents a pivotal part of the company's business. The company sees the Neutron rocket as suitable for deploying satellite constellations, carrying out national security missions, or conducting science and exploration projects.
- Beck's morning routine starts before 5 a.m and he does not drink coffee. He often spends his days at the office before heading back home for dinner with his family.
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