I believe that all entrepreneurs have something fundamental in common: we are blind to our own follies. If we were not then certainly it would not be possible to succeed in the grand way that so many of the best of us do. The naivity, excitement, and passion are what turns folly into fortune. And without these risk takers life on Earth would simply not be possible. Reaching for the beyond is exactly what we do, should do, and must continue to do. And it is with these insights that I begin my thoughts on “Michael Laine”:http://www.colorado.edu/cwa/bios.html?id=758&year=2007 of space elevator and “Liftport”:http://www.liftport.com/ fame.
During my time at the CWA I found myself attending many panels with Mr. Laine because I have a great interest in space and future technology. At first, I found myself tremendously irritated by him as I went about my business at the Conference on World Affairs. Tall, handsome, clearly intelligent, and with the entrepreneur’s swagger that comes from being incapable of working for anyone else but oneself, I should have found much to like. I too have many of those same characteristics, well, I am not so much tall. But I thought the man was a zealot. No matter what the subject he related it back to space elevators. At a conference about interdisciplinary thinking I just wanted him to try something else on for size. Think outside the elevator box Michael! But today I found common ground even as I wondered at his obsession.
I am a believer too. I grew up on Star Trek and science fiction and the idea of a space elevator has percolated through my mind for decades. Not investing in space and developing technologies is one of the great issues that sits in the back of my mind, and when I find myself in the company of like minded friends I enjoy a good kvetch on the subject. Why is it that we do not better fund the sciences beyond this world? And a space elevator is clearly one of the first steps towards our future off this planet.
In fact, NASA and its funding is one of the few places where I find my libertarian mindset in a quandary. Individuals clearly cannot fund research, corporations taking control of space has some vivid problems, and rarely do people come together to fund purely exploratory ventures. Space, at this point, is a nonprofit world and it is generally governments with the resources and longevity to fund that which will not return a profit for decades if not centuries.
And today, with an audience of people held rapt, Michael Laine demonstrated today just how true this problem rings. And it broke my heart. During the panel Infosnacking and Infobingeing: A Guide to Being Well-Informed, a composed but clearly emotional Mr. Laine began to wax poetic about network effects and the blogosphere. He talked about information flow and the power of many people coming together to discuss and influence topics. The blogosphere has been good to Lifport, bringing to light their smaller victories. Blogs have helped keep the spirit alive even as progress is slow and the victories are hard won in this type of work. Networks of people have in some sense replaced the support of governments and big money. And that support has allowed Michael and his team of merry twentysomethings to forge on.
But today, roughly two hours before the panel, an obstacle was placed in Michael and Liftport’s path. Zealot that he is, even his belief and passion could not hold against this reality of finance. They lost their office space. The money ran out. And on Monday they will announce this fact.
I almost cried in sympathy as Michael described how this would impact not only Liftport but his personal life. He had no home, no place for his animals, no job, no source of income, and no place for his staff. A three million dollar building that held the hopes and dreams of more than just a few space crazies was taken away from a project that for better or worse is attempting to bring about a future I was weaned on. And a future I don’t often get to remember in a day to day way and now perhaps will not see even in dreams anymore
I saw myself in Michael as he described the impact. He expressed that good will and good intentions are not enough anymore. When he articulated how he needed real capital I related in a way that he probably did not grasp. I wanted to reach out and hug him because I have been there and felt the pain, realized I needed a real job, found the bank account empty, and found myself immersed in a community of believers and idealists with no way to actually fund something that we knew would eventually bring us all profit.
I have sat in on meetings where people tell me “they want to enable entrepreneurs” or they want to partner, promote, or engage with Coutorture. But I would also find myself saying we don’t need partners, promotion, or enablers, we need capital. Sure we could get our hands on venture capital (unlike Liftport) and contemplated the notion, but we just need a little capital, enough capital, a few hundred thousand dollars at most, to make Coutorture into the dream that was in our minds. But there was no way to get just a little even when that little would blossom to so much more. In Liftport’s case there is no way to get a lot. And that agony was clear on his face. I knew just how he felt even though my dream is one of fashion, beauty, and aesthetics and his is of space and nanotubes.
But our dreams are not that dissimilar in that we hope for a world that is not our own. And thus as I have done before in my corner of the blogosphere with carnivals and then Coutorture I hope to organize thoughts that can lead to action. His folly has now gripped me. From one entrepreneur to another I understand both the passion and the folly of Michael Laine. I really hurt for him because I have hurt like that.
Michael may not need partners or promotion, Coutorture didn’t, but he has them anyway. Perhaps someone out there, some crazy raised on space like I was, will read and decide that those dreams are worth investing in. It certainly seems like there are plenty of nutcases out there interested in this stuff from Jeff Bezos to Richard Branson. Why aren’t they funding this sort of thing? For all I know Michael pissed them off but I rather doubt it. There are so many men with so many millions that I do not think it is so unlikely that they would. And in that sense maybe we can find Liftport some capital in the process. I may not know all that much about the subject but I think this might be a good learning experience. I mean who isn’t intrigued by an elevator to space?
I am sure this will confuse the fashion readers of Almost Girl but let us all take this opportunity to learn a little something about the future, start a dialogue, talk amongst ourselves. Almost Girl has almost been out pushing boundaries so let’s push a little shall we? Let’s learn about nanotechnology, carbon tubes, centrifugal force, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, space freight, and think beyond this depressing century.
the problem is that nobody cares about ideas or dreams anymore. nobody cares about anyone but themselves.
there is too much emphasis on fame, money, celebrity, and fortune. this is because there is, quite simply, much more money making and earning in the media/sex/drug industry, which is why investors only invest on the business that perpetuates it. more is more is more.
for example: who cares about anna nicole smith? she would’ve been lucky to get to space in such a safer contraption as Michael’s elevator box!
think of the possibilities!
A gist-transcription of Michael Laine’s remarks (apologies for my lack of transcription ablility):
“I’ve got a scoop for all the all the bloggers in the room. Other than the X Prize, if you’re on the cover of Popular Science or Popular Mechanics then your project is not going to go anywhere. But failure is a critical component of growth. Two hours ago I lost a three million dollar building. I’d rather pay for this space elevator then pay my mortgage. I’d rather talk to schoolchildren about the project than pay my phone bill. I’ve been in foreclosure seven times in the last five years. And now I don’t have a place to live. I don’t have a place to for my staff to go to. I don’t have a place to put my cat. Is this the straw that breaks the camels back? Not quite, I’m pretty tough. I’ve got to go get a job… I’m not a very good employee. How do you build an elevator into space on the evenings and weekends? I’m counting on the two million people on the network who have referenced the project to make a difference… to put some skin in the game.
I thought I had this fucking problem solved on Wednesday, but I’m not going to let this stop me.”
I’m fairly certain by the time we realize that this planet is too damaged to support life, the atmospheric damage resulting from repeated traditional launches will be particularly unpalatable. Space elevation lets us get material into orbit in a practical method that doesn’t disrupt what’s left of this ecosystem. I was initially a bit turned off by Mr. Laine’s propensity to turn every topic to space elevation, but I’ve got to respect anyone as passionate as he is. Passion is the only force that can actually change the world.
Thank you all for the kind words and the sentiment. I’m not sure what happens next but to quote David Gerrold
“Even when you’re standing in shit, you can still look up and aspire to the
stars.”
[...] If you follow space elevator news you will have already read this, or will soon read it. [...]
This is sad news to hear of indeed. I await to hear their fate Monday morning.
julie, thanks for your kind words and inspiration. no, i am not giving up. i am still fighting. ive learned a litte over the weekend about my situation, and taken a little time to clarify things. i will post a long blog tomorrow morning, with an action plan and a statement of ‘where we are, and where we are going’.
i MAY be able to get this building back! i need a real-estate backed loan for about $2-2.5M. so if you know anyone that does real estate lending, i’d be happy to chat with them.
but lets be clear about this – the PROJECT does not live of die, based on whether or not i own an office building… it gets a lot more complicated, that for sure, but it will continue… my role in it might change, but its a 24 year project. lots of time for lots of things to happen – 4 births, 3 deaths, 1 divorce, 1 foreclosure amoung my team so far…
so dont give up on me, and dont give up on our project. you will see an elevator to space rise from the earth.
and by the way, i didnt get a chance to thank you for your kind words. really, thank you. you can imagine it was a pretty bleak drive from boulder to seattle… your words, and the support of a few other people really helped put things in perspective. thanks.
take care. mjl
p.s. stay tuned, and sign up for our news letter. i am going to be very active in my blogging, perhaps a couple times a day, starting tomorrow. i figure the only way out of this hole is to admit that i am in one, and ask for help digging out. the blog and the newsletter will be my primary forms of communications. somewhere out in the world, someone smarter than i am has an answer…
mjl
I am glad to hear that mjl has not lost sight of the Vision. Disappointing if office space is lost, but look how many successful companies have begun in garages. My posts this week will talk about how a Space Elevator is inevitable. More power to you, mjl!
[...] If you follow space elevator news you will have already read this, or will soon read it. But today, roughly two hours before the panel, an obstacle was placed in Michael and Liftport’s path. Zealot that he is, even his belief and passion could not hold against this reality of finance. They lost their office space. The money ran out. And on Monday they will announce this fact. [...]
[...] Finally, in a comment on a truly awesome posting from Almost Girl, the man, Michael Laine, posts his thoughts… [...]
It’s interesting that I read this on the same day that I picked up the magazine, Popular Science. Mind you, I’ve never even glanced at this magazine in all the times I’ve been to the bookstore, but I happened to come across it in a cafe and started reading it as if it was left there for me – meant for me to read.
The progression of science will definitely help us think outside the box. Whether we’re scientists or designers, it can serve to inspire us to move forward. As for me, well, I’ve always been a Star Wars fan
Great post almostgirl… & go mjl. I have been there too & know how it hurts. However the Space Elevator project is too important not to get up. Sorry for the hideous URL but this is how I feel about getting out into space:
Doing it economically is key to the worlds current and near future crisis.
[...] *** http://almostgirl.coffeespoons.org/?p=1109 [...]
[...] I will comment on each file as they are posted. I hope you like them, I sure liked doing it, and look forward to it again next year. (I hope I am asked back! It’s a rotating guest list and I don’t have any guarantees). I talk a lot about the Space Elevator, but then I also talk about social policy, media, and business. It was at the CWA that I broke story that I was in big financial trouble. I hope to go back next year and tell them this this plan of mine, worked! [...]
[...] So, this is the building that I used to own. It is 5 Stories tall, about 38,000SqFt and had about 26 renters. I have blogged about the process of loosing in, a little bit. There are some links that tell the story of when I lost it, (http://almostgirl.coffeespoons.org/?p=1109) but I figured I would provide some visual aids. [...]