From Amazon engineer to jet startup CEO

What if you quit your job, with newborn twins... to build a jet?

March 27, 2025

At 33, Blake Scholl had a great job at Amazon, a toddler, and newborn twins. Life was stable.

Then he quit to build a supersonic jet.
No aerospace degree. No experience. Just a big idea.

Today, he’s the CEO of Boom Supersonic, a $1B company building the world’s fastest passenger jet.

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“I’d rather be in the dark matter of entrepreneurs who tried and failed than in the category of people who never tried.”

We just dropped one of the most mind-blowing interviews I’ve ever recorded.
Here’s what I learned from Blake — and why I think you’ll want to watch this one.

The Big Leap: from spam to supersonic

Blake worked in tech for 14 years - at Amazon, Groupon, and his own startup. At one point, he was running large-scale email marketing, which he jokingly called “the world’s biggest spam operation”.

Over time, he realized he wanted to build something more meaningful.
He saved enough to afford two failed attempts and walked away from stability to chase one goal: faster, better air travel.

The mindset shift that changed everything

Blake didn’t have an aerospace background. At first, he questioned if he was even qualified to try.

But no one else was building supersonic jets - and he realized the bigger risk was not trying at all.

A Stanford professor looked at his model and said the numbers were too safe.
That’s when Blake knew: this crazy idea might actually work.

Lesson I loved most: quantify everything

Everyone said supersonic travel couldn’t work. Too expensive. No market. Impossible tech.

Blake didn’t argue. He ran the numbers.

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People said “no one will pay more for speed”.
But… people pay more for nonstop flights every day.
You just have to do the math.

If you’ve ever been stuck in “what if,” this interview will shake you awake.

Fast forward to today:

  • Boom raised $150M from Paul Graham, Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, and more

  • They’ve broken the sound barrier

  • They’re 4 years away from commercial flights

  • And they’re working with governments to lift outdated bans

What really stayed with me:

Blake got divorced. He missed time with his kids. He had near-bankruptcy moments where board members quit. But he never gave up.

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If we fail, let’s fail honestly. Just give it everything.
And if it still doesn’t work — fine.
But don’t give up.

If you’ve ever wondered if it’s too late, if your idea is too crazy, or if you’re “not the right person” — Blake’s story is your reminder:

No one can tell you what you’re capable of. Except you.