2026.07.15 18:05

Former SpaceX CIO Ken Venner explains what makes @elonmusk a "genius" operator: "Elon hired me because he wanted to build the digital nervous system for the 21st-century rocket company." "I'm like, this is either the smartest thing or the stupidest thing we've ever done, and I have no idea right now whether this is smart or stupid." "For the first 2 years, I didn't think it was such a smart idea. By year 3, when we really had the software working well and the company was really using it, I'm like, this man is a genius." "He figured out what we needed to do, how we needed to get it done." "It became one of the major differentiators for how SpaceX could scale and keep all the information together and connected with each other."

显示更多

Molly O’Shea@MollySOShea

2026.07.15 14:23

BREAKING: @Senra_Systems Raises $65M Series B co-led by @lowercarbon & Interlagos Total funding hits $112M+ Full interviews: › Co-Founder & CEO @jordan__black › Ken Venner Chief Tech & Product Officer (fmr SpaceX CIO) › Factory tour Wire harnesses are the nervous system of every rocket, car, & missile. Up to 25% of a vehicle's cost, & still 100% built by hand. Senra Systems is rebuilding wire harness manufacturing around software. Series B participation from General Catalyst, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Dylan Field, CIV, 8VC, The Friedkin Group, Jaws Estates Capital, Sozo Ventures, & Alumni Ventures We cover: › $65M round & Factory 3 › Ken Venner on scaling Broadcom & SpaceX › Quitting SpaceX to build harnesses on an apartment carpet › Supplying the fastest-scaling defense companies in America › Amp, their operating system › Where the name Senra comes from 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒 (00:00) Jordan Black, Co-Founder & CEO & Ken Venner, CTPO at Senra Systems (00:57) Senra raises a $65M Series B (01:36) What Senra Systems actually builds (05:18) Why they built two very different factories (07:00) The reindustrialization of America (09:09) Commercial vs. Government: who's really buying? (09:52) The origin story (17:35) Turning a 2-year training pipeline into 4 weeks (25:06) Bringing on SpaceX legend Ken Venner (29:23) Why Jordan became obsessed with wire harnessing (31:46) The investors betting big on wire harnesses (34:16) The real story behind the name "Senra" (36:49) Will the SpaceX IPO fuel Senra's growth? (39:32) Ken Venner (41:40) Scaling lessons from Broadcom and SpaceX (43:21) Why Ken left Broadcom for SpaceX (44:40) Life as SpaceX's CIO (46:11) The secret to Elon Musk's management style (47:15) What it's really like working with Gwynne Shotwell (51:28) Scaling with AI vs. pure headcount (55:04) Factory tour with Jordan

显示更多