Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries by Safi Bahcall. This is a very well written book inspiring readers to realize their crazy ideas can be transformational. Safi holds a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford. Continuing his research, Safi focused on condensed matter theory as a post-doctoral research fellow at UC Berkeley.
Safi joined McKinsey & Company advising investment banks and pharmaceutical companies. Departing after three years to co-found Synta Pharmaceuticals, he led the company for the next thirteen years. Safi was named Ernst & Young New England Biotechnology / Pharmaceutical Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.
Loonshots has certainly become one of my favorite reads of 2020. As an engineer in the biomedical marketplace Safi provides a lightning rod of innovation and inspiration.
The most important message however is one’s dedication to ideas that will change the world. Loonshots (even as a fun term) is filled with historical lessons proving crazy ideas actually “need to die three times” before changing world markets.
In addition keys to successful Loonshots under development is the awareness they are very fragile. Fail fast and pivot is a key message to learn. At the same time it becomes clear solving puzzles and mysteries lead to game changing insights.
Loonshots is outlined across five topics: Expect the Three Deaths, Mind the False Fail, Listen to the Suck with Curiosity, Forget culture, and finally Be a gardener, not a Moses. Here are just three visionaries who created Loonshots:
Vannevar Bush
The opening lesson focuses on the work of Vannevar Bush. It can (and should) be now taught that Bush saved America from defeat in World War II before America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. While many in America knew war was coming, Bush was luckily able to convince FDR that American was facing an enemy more advanced. The moonshot was in fact, the Navy had developed radar in 1922 but the technology was shelved simply by not understanding the impact.
The German threat became substantially frightening after developing nuclear fission in 1939. German U-boats were sinking ships without any threat. By 1943 England was down to only three months of oil reserves.
Bush however, learned to love artists and soldiers equally. He was able to manage the transfer – not the technology itself. Later, after his failures at Apple and then NeXT, Steve Jobs would return to Apple having learned the same lessons of treating artists and soldiers equally.
Akira Endo
Likewise the biggest example of a Loonshots was Safi’s lesson of Three Deaths in developing statins. Millions owe their health (and lives) to the dedication of Akira Endo. Akira was certainly the man to lead the world into statins. While others would garner fame and fortune, Akira taught us to learn to fail fast and pivot.
Leadership: Counting the Arrows in Your Ass
Page 97
Judah Folkman
Above all, the most enjoyable lesson by Sari is learning “Counting the arrows in your ass.” Judah Folkman would spend 30 years pushing his idea of cancer treatment now called angiogenesis. Meanwhile, his work was popularly rejected by medical professionals. As a result to his dedication to his belief cancer treatments today are based upon his research.
In conclusion, Loonshot is an amazing read. The noted leaders above are just the tip of the iceberg. This mindset fits Catalyst very well. Obviously Loonshots are unique. Above all, there are lessons everyone can learn from this book.
Safi Bahcall | Loonshots: Brink of War
Goldman Sachs | Safi Bahcall, Author of Loonshots
SXSW | How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Transform Industries
The World Innovation Network | Loonshots
Hidden Forces | Loonshots
GBH Forum Network | Safi Bahcall Loonshots