Industry Expert Spreadsheet System

Brett Adcock's systematic approach to learning a new industry from scratch, specifically how he entered the aviation industry with no prior experience.

Core Learning Strategy

• Created spreadsheet of 300+ industry experts to contact
  • NASA employees
  • University professors
  • Industry professionals in rotorcraft
  • Experts in turbofan development
  • Anyone relevant to electric aircraft development

Cold Calling Approach

• Made direct cold calls to everyone on the list
• Spent 6 months primarily making calls
• Found people were generally willing to help when asked
• Key insight: "People will pick up the phone for you - you just gotta pick up the phone and call"

Parallel Education Track

• Went back to school while doing cold calls
• Studied mechanical and aerospace engineering
• Attended specialized courses and events
  • Attended 2-day electric aircraft design course
  • Learned aerodynamics, propulsion, batteries fundamentals
  • Connected with PhD students and researchers

Implementation Strategy

• Immersed himself in technical knowledge

  • Read every technical book available
  • Studied physics and equations governing aircraft
  • Focused on understanding core components

• Built practical experience

  • Connected with university labs
  • Worked with small-scale electric aircraft
  • Gained hands-on experience with prototypes

Key Success Factors

• Total commitment to learning

  • Invested 6+ months purely in education
  • Put most of personal wealth into the venture
  • Took no salary while learning

• Systematic approach

  • Organized outreach through spreadsheets
  • Parallel tracks of formal and practical education
  • Built network of experts and mentors

• Focus on fundamentals

  • Started with physics and core principles
  • Built understanding from ground up
  • Emphasized technical knowledge over business aspects