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Gwynne Shotwell: The superstar you probably never heard of

CO. Hoosier

CO. Hoosier

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Aug 29, 2001
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Shotwell is the COO of SpaceX. In the midst of the pandemic, politics and the rancor, discord and divisions we have foisted upon ourselves over our past, I am reassured that people like Shotwell are alive and well and fulfilling our insatiable appetite for accomplishments in the future.

With testing completed, SpaceX is scheduled to launch today an operational Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to the International Space station. Shotwell played a significant role in this event and in returning trail-blazing space technology to the United States.

Here is Shotwell talking about the final test flight of Dragon earlier this year.

 
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CO. Hoosier said:
Shotwell is the COO of SpaceX. In the midst of the pandemic, politics and the rancor, discord and divisions we have foisted upon ourselves over our past, I am reassured that people like Shotwell are alive and well and fulfilling our insatiable appetite for accomplishments in the future.

With testing completed, SpaceX is scheduled to launch today an operational Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to the International Space station. Shotwell played a significant role in this event and in returning trail-blazing space technology to the United States.

Here is Shotwell talking about the final test flight of Dragon earlier this year.

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Hav you read about musk’s dad and extended family? Unreal.
 
mcmurtry66 said:
I didn’t know that part. Just the breadth of engineering and entrepreneurial projects they’ve made successful is incredible.
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Getting back to Shotwell, one commentator has said her best talent might be being able to get along with Elon and running SpaceX in spite of him. He burns through a lot of people but she has stuck around for 18 years. I read a book about Elon, SpaceX and Tesla. His approach to development and production of rockets and cars is very unique. I gave the book to a friend who used to be an engineer at Boeing and he said that the Boeing culture is totally different and much more traditional. Boeing would have committees and groups to collaborate on engineering problems where SpaceX would have one or two people and Elon would expect a solution in days, not weeks or months. As another example, Musk, knew he would need government contracts for the rockets and public subsidies for the electric cars. Instead of hiring a big K Street firm to accomplish this, he hired one guy who was well experienced--and he expected that guy to do the job. I'll probably catch hell for saying this, but I have the impression that Trump's view of government operations is similar to Elon's view of operations. They both burn through people and both are effective.

During the dark days, when both SpaceX and Tesla were on the verge of bankruptcy, Elon spent some time in Boulder with his restauranteur brother. During that time he decided what he needed to do to save the companies and then executed.
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
Getting back to Shotwell, one commentator has said her best talent might be being able to get along with Elon and running SpaceX in spite of him. He burns through a lot of people but she has stuck around for 18 years. I read a book about Elon, SpaceX and Tesla. His approach to development and production of rockets and cars is very unique. I gave the book to a friend who used to be an engineer at Boeing and he said that the Boeing culture is totally different and much more traditional. Boeing would have committees and groups to collaborate on engineering problems where SpaceX would have one or two people and Elon would expect a solution in days, not weeks or months. As another example, Musk, knew he would need government contracts for the rockets and public subsidies for the electric cars. Instead of hiring a big K Street firm to accomplish this, he hired one guy who was well experienced--and he expected that guy to do the job. I'll probably catch hell for saying this, but I have the impression that Trump's view of government operations is similar to Elon's view of operations. They both burn through people and both are effective.

During the dark days, when both SpaceX and Tesla were on the verge of bankruptcy, Elon spent some time in Boulder with his restauranteur brother. During that time he decided what he needed to do to save the companies and then executed.
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he burns through stokers too. spacex predates tesla and if memory serves me he joined tesla as a project engineer then later took over. amazing guy.
 
mcmurtry66 said:
he burns through stokers too. spacex predates tesla and if memory serves me he joined tesla as a project engineer then later took over. amazing guy.
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Yeah, he joined with another guy who had worked on the electric car technology. The name wasn't Tesla at that time. Unspurprisingly Musk had a falling out with those guys and they have been in and out of litigation.
 
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CoH, I am laughing at how comical you are. You speak of accomplishments for our future and then equate a genius with a lie factory on a manic. Trump’s “accomplishment” is brand management, which does nothing for our future. Trump’s policies you love so much are McConnell's policies with some truly insidiously inhumane atrocities thrown in for good measure.

There’s no value added by Trump to our future. But yeah, CoH, keep on keeping on justifying your despicable bromance.
 
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iuwclurker said:
CoH, I am laughing at how comical you are. You speak of accomplishments for our future and then equate a genius with a lie factory on a manic. Trump’s “accomplishment” is brand management, which does nothing for our future. Trump’s policies you love so much are McConnell's policies with some truly insidiously inhumane atrocities thrown in for good measure.

There’s no value added by Trump to our future. But yeah, CoH, keep on keeping on justifying your despicable bromance.
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In a thread about Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, and today's launch you write a post about me, Trump, and McConnell. That's really pathetic.
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
In a thread about Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, and today's launch you write a post about me, Trump, and McConnell. That's really pathetic.
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Actually, you posted about T.rump, with a not so subtle bit of bait.

meme-kermit-drinking-tea-but-thats-none-of-business.png
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
In a thread about Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, and today's launch you write a post about me, Trump, and McConnell. That's really pathetic.
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You’re a card. In your thread about Shotwell, you managed to make about how Trump is a genius like Elon. That was shortly before my response, though you may have forgotten.

By the way, laughing at you isn’t making my point about you. Your skin seems to be thinning, though you’ll surely deny it.
 
CO. Hoosier said:
The point isn’t even highly nuanced. It’s like a baseball bat across the bridge if your nose. Read what I said snd what lurk thinks I said—sport.
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I read what you said, that you'd catch hell for stating Trump and Elon method of operating burned through people.
And then lurker gave you a bit of hell. I stated you made the correct call. I apologize for saying you were correct.
 
IUINSB said:
I read what you said, that you'd catch hell for stating Trump and Elon method of operating burned through people.
And then lurker gave you a bit of hell. I stated you made the correct call. I apologize for saying you were correct.
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Read it again sport.
 
CO. Hoosier said:
They both burn through people and both are effective.
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Lol. Difference being the ex-prez would have called this a successful launch. And would have stood by that statement. Constantly.




So, ya, other than their accomplishments and willingness to learn, they are the same guy.
 
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hondo314 said:
Lol. Difference being the ex-prez would have called this a successful launch. And would have stood by that statement. Constantly.

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So, ya, other than their accomplishments and willingness to learn, they are the same guy.
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You guys aren't getting this. My Musk/Trump comparison was not a compliment. They both use and make demands on people that most of us don't. That being said, in their own way, they are effective; meaning they get things done.
 
Jobs was also one to be known to be rough on employees. One of my college roommates worked at NeXT and Jobs came in and called him every name in the book, just screaming. When Jobs finished by friend said, "My boss is handling that project, I have nothing to do with it". Jobs went to my friend's boss' office and repeated the yelling. Not an "oh, sorry" or anything.

What they don't know is that plenty of people are successful without being total jerks.
 
CO. Hoosier said:
You guys aren't getting this. My Musk/Trump comparison was not a compliment. They both use and make demands on people that most of us don't. That being said, in their own way, they are effective; meaning they get things done.
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Haha. Hey, they both breathe oxygen, so there is another vague, meaningless way in which they are alike.
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
You guys aren't getting this. My Musk/Trump comparison was not a compliment. They both use and make demands on people that most of us don't. That being said, in their own way, they are effective; meaning they get things done.
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...and therein lies the rub. If you were to read my post again, you’d notice the blatant nuance that Trump isn’t effective in the least, other than branding himself. His brand does nothing for our future.

Elon is effectively creating some of our future, which you seem to value. Trump’s creating no future whatsoever and arguably taking us toward the Dark Ages of the past. (Effective at Stone Aging us?)
 
iuwclurker said:
...and therein lies the rub. If you were to read my post again, you’d notice the blatant nuance that Trump isn’t effective in the least, other than branding himself. His brand does nothing for our future.

Elon is effectively creating some of our future, which you seem to value. Trump’s creating no future whatsoever and arguably taking us toward the Dark Ages of the past. (Effective at Stone Aging us?)
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If you want to continue with a Musk/Trump comparison; start a new thread. I made a mistake with my brief and collateral reference. Worse, I even expected Trump-obsessed dolts would jump all over that. My bad. 😡

The launch and first stage recovery was sehr cool. The Dragon capsule is cooler yet. The U.S. has leapt to the forefront of space exploration.

crew-1-ceitpt2-20200612-dsc05519-2.jpg
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
Shotwell is the COO of SpaceX. In the midst of the pandemic, politics and the rancor, discord and divisions we have foisted upon ourselves over our past, I am reassured that people like Shotwell are alive and well and fulfilling our insatiable appetite for accomplishments in the future.

With testing completed, SpaceX is scheduled to launch today an operational Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts to the International Space station. Shotwell played a significant role in this event and in returning trail-blazing space technology to the United States.

Here is Shotwell talking about the final test flight of Dragon earlier this year.

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I wish she was hotter.
 
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CO. Hoosier said:
You guys aren't getting this. My Musk/Trump comparison was not a compliment. They both use and make demands on people that most of us don't. That being said, in their own way, they are effective; meaning they get things done.
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i look at it as you need a "hedgehog" and a "fox" as a 1a and 1b leadership duo. Doesn't matter which is 1a
hedgehogs are the pricks that are most known for the yelling. foxes are the one that plan. the best circumstance is you have both, and they compliment each other (not e.g., i like your shirt). they shine in different situations.
 
Glenn Reynolds (A University of Tennessee law professor) wrote in the New York Post about the significance of this launch, comparing it to the first air mail flight. Reynolds used to write for USA Today but quit and went to the Post over an editorial dispute.
 
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