I Wasn't Ready For This 22-Year-Old | Ethan Thornton #497 | The Way I Heard It

I've met plenty of smart people. I've met plenty of ambitious people. I've even met a few people who accidentally forgot to eat because they were too busy working. But I've never met anyone quite like Ethan Thornton.

He's 22. He started out making knives in his garage. Today, he's building aircraft for the Department of Defense and thinking about problems most of us don't even know exist yet. The strange part isn't his age. It's the way he thinks.

He has a habit of answering simple questions with ideas that keep getting bigger. We started with breakfast and somehow wound up discussing why he believes America still has a habit of solving impossible problems—provided we don't convince ourselves it's already too late. By the end of our conversation, I found myself less interested in the aircraft he builds than the worldview that led him to build them.

I don't think Ethan is right about everything. I'm pretty sure he doesn't think he is, either. But I'm equally sure you'll hear a few ideas you haven't heard before. Those are my favorite kinds of conversations.

If you've been wondering what the next generation of American builders looks like, this one might surprise you.

Keep on keeping on...

#podcast #america #technology

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