Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1228683
70 SMT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2020 my people of what they knew, and my peo- ple spent almost all the time trying to con- vince them what they knew. Very little time was spent discovering a breakthrough in solv- ing the problem that was before us. That's a story that takes longer to tell, but I'm going to detail it in my biography. Feinberg: To give you an example that what you say is so true, where are the big advances coming today in personal computers? The big advances are coming in pieces, but they're sig- nificant advances. Rutan: Why aren't they working into more VR? I think VR is a big thing. Feinberg: They are, but the answers are com- ing from the do-it-yourself builders. Then, the more advanced or premium companies copy what the DIY people are doing. Rutan: I understand what you're saying, and I agree, but I don't follow it as much since I'm retired now. Matties: Now that you're in retirement, what has your attention? Rutan: I was burned out when I retired. I did a phase one of a flying car for the last five months of work before I retired, and I worked my ass off. I'm talking about long hours, and not just doing the drawings for it, but also building it in the shop. During the last months of my work before retirement, I didn't want to be a manager. Think about it. I'm the founder. I'm the boss. Almost every time that there's a strategy deci- sion, I didn't run it democratically all the time. I would take a vote at a management meeting, but a lot of times, I'd say, "I hear you guys, but this is the way we're going to do it." Now, visu- alize that position when you're in the last few months, and you know that you're going to be not only retired, but you're going to move to Idaho. You will not be there to deal with your decision. Northrop owned the company at that time, and they won't let you consult afterward. There's some rule; you have to be retired for two years. After retirement, I did not want to consult. I was burned out big time. I didn't even look in the rear-view mirror when I drove away. From my retirement home, I could look from my deck down at this floating green of the golf course. It's the most recognizable feature of Click image above to view an excerpt from Burt Rutan's keynote address at IPC APEX EXPO 2020. Video Clip: SpaceShipOne Keynote