Data Centers in Orbit by 2028: Baiju Bhatt on His Plans After Robinhood
Summary
Ju from Kleiner Perkins interviews Baiju Bhatt, Robinhood co-founder and Cowboy Space CEO, about his transition from fintech to building data centers in low-Earth orbit. Bhatt explains how Cowboy pivoted from space solar power to using rocket upper stages as orbital compute hubs to serve AI energy demands. The discussion covers his solo founding journey, vertical integration strategies, and the drive to prove commercial viability in space.
Topics discussed
Introduction: Baiju Bhatt and the shift from Robinhood to Cowboy Space
Baiju's background in physics and early interest in space
Influence of 'The Case for Mars' and early space ambitions
Robinhood's mission to democratize finance and leaving the CEO role
The challenge of achieving mass-market product-market fit
Co-founding dynamics with Vlad Tenev and shared history
Solo founding Cowboy Space and personal motivation
Entrepreneurial drive and the 'dog' inside a founder
Cowboy Space thesis: Low-Earth orbit as a commercial platform
Unit economics of space solar power and compute
Architecture: Using the rocket upper stage as the data center
Technical challenges: Heat dissipation and atmospheric entry
Vertical integration and launch capacity constraints
Focus on a single use case to accelerate development
Fundraising, company size, and Baiju's role in operations
Addressing criticisms and the future of AI compute demand
Recruiting talent and building manufacturing facilities
Reflections on the grueling nature of entrepreneurship
Hiring challenges and the pain of high demand
Identifying true product-market fit in startups
Closing thoughts on grit and potential space travel
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