Founder at Bright Link Talent | Connecting Top Talent with High-Growth Startups

Scaling a team shouldn’t feel like a guessing game, but for many founders and hiring managers, it does.

Here’s what I see all the time:

➔ Companies scrambling to fill GTM roles but losing time (and revenue) to endless hiring cycles.
➔ Founders frustrated by the lack of alignment between their mission and the candidates they meet.
➔ Hiring managers overwhelmed by sourcing, screening, and trying to find talent that truly fits.

Without the right support, building a high-performing team can feel like an impossible task.

Recently, a founder reached out:

“We need to hire a Sales Director and a Head of Customer Success, but I don’t have the bandwidth to manage it. Every delay means we’re leaving money on the table, and I just need someone who can make it happen.”

It’s a common story. Leaders want to scale fast but get stuck in the bottleneck of finding the right people.

With over 10 years of experience in the industry, my approach cuts through the noise, prioritizing long-term relationships and a collaborative effort to match the right candidates with the right opportunities.

We specialize in:

➔ Delivering top GTM talent fast—often within days.
➔ Managing the hiring process end-to-end so you can stay focused on growth.
➔ Building revenue-generating teams that align with your mission and drive results.

I’ve helped founders and hiring managers at high-growth tech startups hire for roles like:

➔ Sales Leadership
➔ Marketing Strategy
➔ Customer Success Management
➔ Operations and Revenue Enablement

At Bright Link Talent, we don’t just fill roles; we build the teams that scale companies.

If you’re ready to stop searching and start growing, let’s talk.

👉 Message me “HIRE” or email me at stephanie@brightlinktalent.com

Stephanie Loewenstern

A few years ago, I stayed in a situation that was making me very sick.

I kept telling myself that if I could just get to the next milestone, the next phase, the next win… it would finally get better.

Spoiler alert. It didn’t. It got worse.

I nearly lost my health and my sanity in the process.

Recovering from that chapter took everything.

Maybe you’ve been there.
Maybe you’re there right now.

You tell yourself it’s temporary.

You hang on a little longer. 

Just until equity vests. 
Just until the bonus hits. 
Just until things “settle.”

So when candidates say:

“My boss promised things would change.”
“I want to see what happens at QBR.” 
“I’ll leave after my bonus.”
“We’re about to raise.” 

I understand.

Here’s what I know now:

You don’t have to get sick or hit a breaking point to walk away.

If you’re waiting for the “right time,” ask yourself this:

What if the milestone you’re waiting for… is choosing to leave?

PS: Maybe it’s time to take that recruiter call. 

I’ve got a few 1:1 spots open before the holidays. 

DM me if you want to work together or click the link Stan store- at the top of my profile, left side, right under my name.

#GaryVeeStanChallenge

We Build Revenue Teams So You Don’t Lose Pipeline, Time, or Talent | GTM Hiring Partner for B2B SaaS

Vicente Valencia

VILENTIA

Unfiltered advice about PPP and Infrastructure. 
PPP Training and Coaching
SPV Management and Advice
Strategy, Bids, Market Lead Proposals and much more.

Founder

Homizy

Love the challenges, the design and changing spaces and cities for the better. 

We give a second opportunity to old buildings and houses creating unique homes.

Co-Founder and Investor

Camarounds

Confounder and investor. 
If you can get a cab in 3 min with your mobile phone, why should be different for a plumber, electrician or cleaner. 
Camarounds is leading this community helping thousands of customers in Panama.

Co-Founder

VIP LIFE PANAMA

Leading VipLifePanama to become one of the biggest in the Santiago region in Panama

Cofounder and Board Member

NX2 Northern Express Group

The Pūhoi to Warkworth project is a PPP (Private Public Partnership) between the Government and a private consortium, the Northern Express Group (NX2). While the NX2 will be responsible for financing, designing, building, maintaining and operating the motorway for up to 25 years, the motorway will remain a public asset.

The new Pūhoi to Warkworth project will extend the four-lane Northern Motorway (SH1) 18.5km from the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnels to just north of Warkworth. It is the first stage of the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance. It will be open for traffic by late 2021. Ara Tūhono means a connecting pathway (Ara meaning pathway/passage and Ara Tūhono means connecting or linking one part to another).

Chief Executive Officer

A30 Express

A30 Express (former Nouvelle Autoroute 30 s.e.n.c) is the private partner responsible for the Highway 30 completion and operation, in accordance with a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement signed on September 25, 2008 by Nouvelle Autoroute 30, s.e.n.c. and Ministère des Transports du Québec. This agreement ensures the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and repair of the PPP completion project of the A30 and some complementary road sections as well as the operation of a toll plaza over a 30 year period. 

In total, A30 Express manages almost 2.0bn$ in assets which encompass approximately 75 km of highway, including two major structures over the St Laurent River and the Sea Way, the S. Marcil Bridge (1.8km) and the M. Parent Bridge (2.8km).

Board Member

A30 Express (former Nouvelle Autoroute 30 s.e.n.c) is the private partner responsible for the Highway 30 completion and operation, in accordance with a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement signed on September 25, 2008 by Nouvelle Autoroute 30, s.e.n.c. and Ministère des Transports du Québec. This agreement ensures the design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and repair of the PPP completion project of the A30 and some complementary road sections as well as the operation of a toll plaza over a 30 year period. 

In total, A30 Express manages almost 2.0bn$ in assets which encompass approximately 75 km of highway, including two major structures over the St Laurent River and the Sea Way, the S. Marcil Bridge (1.8km) and the M. Parent Bridge (2.8km). 

Vicente Valencia holds the roles of CEO, Project Director and Private Partner Representative for A30 Express.

Responsible for all activities related to operations, maintenance and rehabilitation of the infrastructure 
Managing annual budget circa 10M$
Introducing new maintenance and asset management techniques in Quebec
Responsible for the design, installation and operations of the Electronic Toll System and Intelligent Traffic System (circa 20M$)
Finished on time and under budget the first classic toll system in more than 20 years in Quebec, a challenge from the point of view of technology, time-frame and pre-existing conditions
Evaluation of construction solutions from a financial model point of view
Responsible for the supervision of the civil infrastructure related directly to operations activities
Responsible for rehabilitation works on major infrastructures (+10M$)

Chief Operations Officer

LINK427

Wellap

In few simple steps, Wellap guides the consumers in an intuitive and fun way to purchase the product that meets best their needs without any external influence or pressure. Our application search in the whole internet the best deal that perfectly suits the need of the customer. 
We are a start-up adding value not just on-line distributors and their customers, we are now working in physical point of sales to change the way people choose products and make purchases. 

I have been mentoring and couching of key staff, as well as overseeing the changes in the business model and new strategies. I have contributed to the investor negotiations and board reorganization.

EADIC

Postgraduate studies related to PPP Projects, Finance, and International Management:
Postgraduate course at Alcalá University (UAH): “International Project Management” (Gestión de Proyectos Internacionales)
"Efficient Management of International Projects" (Gestión eficaz de proyectos de ámbito internacional)
“Internationalization of Engineering and Construction Firms” (Internacionalización de empresas de Ingeniería y Construcción)

Lecturer

MCPubliDesign

General guidance about all services related to design, marketing products and printing in all formats, corporate and general public.
Successfully purchased, reorganized, and sold the company
Oversaw increase in sales of 350% in 3 years
Successfully negotiated credit facilities with lenders
Lead new investors and business development negotiations
Mentoring and couching of key staff

Chairman

🤔 Risk-Averse Renegade 💪 | Helping others take the leap of faith | Entrepreneur & Investor | Personal Growth, Business. 🐭 Join the free rat race 🐭

If you need PPP Advice or Training that you WON'T get from the World Bank go to: https://vicentevalencia.com.

I love infrastructure delivery and I have good reasons for that. 

I still remember my third day working in PPPs, around 20 years ago. 

I was put on a Board meeting, and my boss told the rest of the board members that "I was the new PPP advisor". 

Not bad for the third day. 

I didn't know what a PPP was, nor even a what a Board was, or shareholders, or construction contracts, or back-to-backs... and there I was. 

Now, after having tendered, managed, delivered, refinanced, sold, a few PPPs in Europe, North America and New Zealand, as a COO, CEO and Board Member, I can tell you many more stories... some of them, "terror stories": extra costs, claims, delays, incompetence, bad clients, terrible contractors, evil designers, etc. 

But I can also tell you many great stories about people. 

Happy people enjoying a new and fantastic piece of infrastructure. 

These assets have transformed for the better lives, cities and even countries. 

I’ll never forget the 15 December 2012, when I opened as the COO, the A30 Project in Montreal. 

I put my beautiful and very patient Spanish wife on a toll both to enjoy. 

Many nights working at night and she supported me all the way long, and I wanted her to live the experience. 

During a break to have diner – it was a long day – she told me that users thanked her saying “Gracias”. 
I’ll never forget the joy and happiness of thousands of people that wanted to cross the bridges that we built.
 
This is the power of great infrastructure, properly delivered. 

This is why, I love that business. 

I also have two secret passions: Real Estate Investing, and a popular newsletter. Everyday, I send a free tip about business, project management, investment, motivation and personal growth. All this comes with Spanish spice. Subscribe, join other +2k free minds and enjoy.

Behind the glamour of billion-dollar infrastructure projects lies a harsh reality: not all succeed... They failed or they were short in delivering what they promised. 

Here you are: 

🚧 15 PPP Projects That Failed and Why 🚧

From political turmoil to flawed traffic forecasts, explore the cautionary tales of PPPs from Spain, Australia, the USA, and beyond.

💡 Swipe through to discover the lessons these failures teach us about risk management, accurate forecasting, and the importance of well-structured contracts.

Lots of learnings for governments, bidders, contractors, lenders and advisors.


#InfrastructureFailures #PPPProjects #ProjectManagement #PPP #NewZealand #LessonsLearned #PublicPrivatePartnerships #RiskManagement #GlobalProjects #ConstructionInsights #PPPChallenges #SmartContracts #pipeline

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories. Click in My Newsletter

15 PPP Projects that did not deliver

Most PPP projects don’t fail because of construction issues.
Or financing.
Or KPIs.

They fail because people ignore the basics.
The fundamentals.

The principles nobody teaches you in those “PPP certifications.”
The laws I’ve learned after 20 years sitting on all four sides of the table:
government, contractor, equity, and operator.

So here they are.
The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement.
The no-BS rules that separate a bankable project…
from a headline on the front page of the newspaper.

Swipe.

Learn them.

Break them at your own risk.

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnerships #MegaProjects #ProjectFinance #Governance #PublicSector #RiskManagement #InfrastructureInvestment #Construction

PPP Executioner | Providing Clarity to PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories. Click in My Newsletter

The 15 Commandments of the PPP Movement

🚧 The Top 10 PPP Projects to Watch in 2025 🚧

Love to be back from holidays... and what would be a better start than this post?

Remember. 

Infrastructure shapes the future, and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are at the heart of delivering the most transformative projects worldwide.

In this carousel, I’ve highlighted 10 major PPP projects that stand out in 2025:

🌍 Spanning continents from Africa to Asia, Europe, and the Americas
💰 Representing billions in investment and innovation
⏳ Promising milestones, big challenges, and lessons for the industry

Whether you’re tracking aviation, transport, or urban development, these projects are setting benchmarks for collaboration between governments and the private sector.

🛠️ Curious which projects made the list? Swipe through to discover the top 10 and why they matter! 

And for my friends in #NewZealand... No. The Northern Corridor is not there yet... I'm looking forward to hearing some news!!!

✨ Did I miss any other? Share your thoughts in the comments—what’s the #PPP project you’re keeping an eye on this year?

#InfrastructureDevelopment
#PPPProjects
#PublicPrivatePartnership
#SmartInvestments
#GlobalInfrastructure
#RealEstateTrends
#UrbanDevelopment
#ProjectFinance
#ConstructionInnovation
#SustainableInfrastructure
#EconomicGrowth
#TransportInnovation
#MegaProjects
#InfrastructureInsights
#GlobalGrowth

Top 10 PPP Projects to Monitor this 2025

AMAZING FRIDAY. 
I still heard today someone thinking that PPPs are about “privatising the public.”

Wrong. Simply wrong... and not just because some people still don't understand PPPs as delivery method. 

PPPs are about accountability.
About delivering on time and on budget.
About getting real outcomes, not excuses.

When a project is 3 years late, 40% over budget, and falling apart after 5 years...
What’s the alternative?
Keep doing it the old way?

The truth?
Some public agencies, consultants, contractors, subbies fear PPPs not because they fail…

But because they expose failure. They break status quo. 

Think about it!

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnership #Construction #ProjectManagement #Accountability #BigProjects #PPPNZ #InfraStrategy

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure.
But then they panic when world-class people show up.
The Ministry of Transport of Quebec didn’t.
They opened the door.
To foreigners.
To competition.
To courage.
The result?
A-30 Expressway. In my modest opinion, one of the most successful PPPs in North America.
Delivered on time. 
On budget. 
With pride.
I was there.
And I still remember the chaos, the cold, and that night before opening when we almost forgot to put live the tolling system.
Today's article is about courage.
Not the PowerPoint kind. 
The real one.

#Leadership #PPP #Infrastructure #Courage #ProjectManagement #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Canada #Construction

View newsletter: PPP & Real Estate stories

Most governments say they want world-class infrastructure. But few have the guts to bring in world-class people. But the Ministry of Transport of Queb

Open article: Dark and Cold by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Why do PPPs fail?
Not because of “complexity.”
Not because of “market conditions.”
And definitely not because “it was unforeseeable.”

The real reasons repeat.... 
Over. And over. And over.

Risk pushed to the wrong side.
KPIs that punish instead of perform.
Bureaucrats negotiating with Excel instead of brains.
Everyone says lessons were learned.

But somehow, the next project looks suspiciously familiar.
Here are the 20 real reasons PPPs fail.

#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnership #ProjectFinance #Construction #Procurement #Leadership #RiskManagement #PPPProjects #LessonsLearned

In a recent interview, an expensive consultant… those that charge you for their offices in the middle of Manhattan and all the MBA fees of the Ivy Lea

Open article: The causes of PPP failure by Vicente Valencia • 3 min read

Most PPPs don’t fail. They’re murdered.
By committees.
By politicians.
By consultants who think Excel is a risk register.

They call it “complexity.”
They call it “market conditions.”
Etc. 

Reality is usually simpler.
Risk pushed to the wrong side.
KPIs that punish instead of perform.
Partnerships that lack trust.

And when it collapses?
The report always ends with the same line: “Lessons were learned.”
No, they weren’t.

Here are the 20 real reasons PPPs fail.

_
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#PPP #Infrastructure #PublicPrivatePartnership #ProjectFinance #Construction #Procurement #Leadership #RiskManagement #PPPProjects #LessonsLearned #Governance

PPP Executioner | Providing Clarity to PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories

Reasons why PPP Fail

I like saying that many PPPs don’t fail in construction.
In fact, they tend to fail much earlier.
In meeting rooms full of PowerPoints, optimism, and zero understanding of risk.

In this case, the government tried to transfer every single risk to the private partner… and killed the project before it was even born.

A great case study from Kenya:
A highway that should have been a PPP,
but died in the “market sounding” phase…
and then cost twice as much when delivered traditionally... plus time and reputation lost.

Take a look. 
It’s a story about what happens everywhere when people confuse risk transfer with avoiding responsibility.

And don't get me wrong. 
This project at the end was successful. But this is not what the article is about. 

By the way, have you seen a PPP collapse because the risk matrix was a suicide note?
Comment below. 

_
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#PublicPrivatePartnerships #Infrastructure #PPP #ProjectFinance #RiskTransfer #Construction #Procurement #ValueForMoney #RiskManagement #AfricaInfrastructure #Kenya #Transport #PPPFails #LessonsLearned #Megaprojects #Leadership #Government #Engineering #Policy #InfrastructureDevelopment

“We want a PPP… but we don’t want to take any risk.” That scream comes from the public and private sectors alike… And every time I hear that, I alread

Open article: Let's transfer all the risks by Vicente Valencia • 3 min read

Most governments don’t build airports.
They build disasters.
Overbudget terminals.
Political appointments.
Twenty-year “temporary” fixes.
And airports that look like bus stations with better uniforms.

Bogotá was heading exactly in that direction.
Until they did something most countries still don’t have the guts to do:
They handed El Dorado to people who actually know how to run an airport.
No ideology.
No drama.
Just a simple truth:
If you want a world-class hub, you can’t manage it like a ministry side project.
El Dorado is the proof.
Here’s why the model worked, and why 90% of capitals in the world still refuse to learn the lesson.

_
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#PPP #infrastructure #Colombia #airport #eldorado #publicprivatepartnership #construction #infrastructuredevelopment #latinamerica #airports #infrastructurefinance #governance #riskallocation #projectfinance #megaprojects #policy #transportation #leadership #economics #growth #publicsector #privatesector #risk #capacitybuilding #valueformoney

Most governments treat their main airport like a toy. A prestige project. A political trophy. A place to cut ribbons and hire cousins. The perfect pic

Open article: Why El Dorado works (and others don’t) by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Most PPP failures don’t happen on the road.
They happen on the spreadsheet.

Mexico learned this the hard way in the 90s…
when an entire highway PPP program collapsed under the weight of unrealistic traffic projections, insane risk transfer, USD-denominated debt, and a peso that decided to self-destruct overnight.
Twenty-three concessions.
Bankrupt.
Gone.
Hasta la vista amigos!

Take a look to one of the biggest PPP meltdowns in Latin America… and why the same mistakes still show up today in developing countries.


Curious:
Do you think governments and lenders have really learned the lessons?
Or are we still pretending optimism is a risk-mitigation strategy?

_
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#PPP #Infrastructure #ProjectFinance #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Mexico #Transportation #Megaprojects #RiskManagement #LatinAmerica #TequilaCrisis #Construction #ValueForMoney #Policy #Government #Engineering #LessonsLearned

You know that moment when a government says: “We’re launching a massive PPP program.” Or… “We are going to partner with the private sector to build ro

Open article: The Tequila Crisis by Vicente Valencia • 3 min read

Before 2010, their PPP program was a mess. 

Legal chaos, endless delays, and “risk transfer” strategies that only transferred confidence away.

But then… they stopped.
They listened.
They learned.
And the result?

The Mactan–Cebu International Airport became a model of how listening can build credibility, competition, and confidence.

This is the story of how a government that once terrified investors ended up delivering one of Asia’s best airport PPPs.

_
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#PPP #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Infrastructure #ProjectFinance #Philippines #MactanCebu #AirportPPP #ADB #IFC #RiskManagement #Procurement #Leadership #Government #Construction #Megaprojects #AsiaInfrastructure #ValueForMoney #LessonsLearned

You can find horror stories almost everywhere. Not just developed countries. And successful ones too… as it’s not rocket science. Before 2010, the Phi

Open article: After listening, they nailed it! by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Everyone talks about “value for money.”
Nobody talks about scope for money.

Because when the scope is a guess, the only certainty is that someone’s getting rich fixing it later.

Sydney’s light rail PPP proved it.

The contract had grey areas. 

The ground didn't. It had many other things. 

What Happens When the Scope Is a Guess... enjoy. 

#PPP #Infrastructure #PPPHorrorStories #PublicPrivatePartnership #Procurement #InfrastructureFinance #PPPs #Australia #PFI #ValueForMoney #InfrastructureLessons #VicenteValencia

Early brief: “Deliver a shiny new light rail through Sydney’s CBD. Easy. Everyone loves trams.” Translation: scope unclear, assumptions heroic, risks 

Open article: What Happens When the Scope Is a Guess by Vicente Valencia • 2 min read

Most countries say they want infrastructure.
But watch who holds the power, who is influential. 
And then you’ll know what the country will look like in the next decades. 

If contractors lead, things get built.
If engineering firms lead, things get studied.
Again.
And again.
And again.

In one, cranes rise before committees meet.
In the other, feasibility studies pile up like paperwork in a ministry inbox.

At some point, someone has to stop “analysing” and start building.
Because no country ever moved forward on a business case alone.

Do you agree that the balance of power has shifted too far toward consultants?
Or do you think more studies mean better outcomes? Even if that means delaying infrastructure one, two or more decades???

Let’s hear it.

—-

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#Infrastructure #PPP #Construction #Engineering #FeasibilityStudy #ProjectDelivery #Leadership #PublicSector #Contractors #NewZealand #DecisionMaking

How to make the other party to understand. 
This is one of the key problems that more often I receive on my desk. 
I always start by one question. 
“Have you talked to them?”. 
“Many times”.
“And…?”
“They don’t understand”
“Then, you have not dig enough” 
 
Yeah. 
This is a typical frustration. 
“How the other side can’t understand this”. 
 
Look. 
There are no miracles. 
But there are lawyers. 
They have the incredible capacity of grabbing people’s attention… specially through letters. 
They can also point out that your “crystal clearness” is not such. 
 
One of the advantages of using lawyers is that you must make the effort to explain to an alien what’s going on. 
 
But I leave that for another day. 
For today, think about that project where the other party does not understand. 
Then, click below. 
https://lnkd.in/gXuiU6Ux

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Join the PPP MOVEMENT for Infra tips and stories

I loved this interview so much! Thank you Andy!

Vicente Valencia breaks it down: PPPs aren’t a magic fix, they’re a delivery model.

But when you’re dealing with large, complex infrastructure, the model works. That’s why countries building massive networks use PPPs consistently. We just need to use the right model for the right project and use it properly.

📌 From: Yarns with Andy – Episode 62
📌 Timestamp: 00:03:31

🔗 Watch full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gWpCjeem
🔗 Follow us: https://lnkd.in/gtrDfhHm

#PPPNZ #InfrastructureNZ #ConstructionIndustry #NationBuilding #DeliveryModels #BuildBetter #YarnsWithAndy

If your contract’s review procedure is vague, congratulations: you just built yourself a monthly dispute engine.

PPP practitioners obsess over risk matrices and financial models…

and forget that 60 monthly reports = 60 potential disputes.

This article shows you exactly how a poorly drafted clause can drag a project into years of micro-conflicts, wasted time, and silent budget bleed.

If you want the anatomy of a real failure scenario, the kind that never appears in government case studies, it’s here.

_
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#PPP #PublicPrivatePartnership #Infrastructure #InfrastructureProjects
#PPPadvisory #ConstructionManagement #ProjectDelivery #MajorProjects #RiskManagement #ContractManagement #InfrastructureFinance
 #TransportInfrastructure  #GovernmentProjects  #DisputeResolution
 #ProjectControls  #ProjectGovernance  #Procurement  #MegaProjects
 #EngineeringLeadership  #VicenteValencia

Imagine this. You’re the private partner in a PPP project. It’s month-end. Again. You draft your monthly report. You package the KPIs, the progress ph

Open article: 60 reports. 60 disagreements. 60 disputes. by Vicente Valencia • 1 min read

60 reports. 60 disagreements. 60 disputes.

The New York Times (1920)
“A rocket will never leave the Earth’s atmosphere.”
— The New York Times, editorial.

49 years later… 

“The Times regrets the error.”
— The New York Times, July 17, 1969 (the day after Apollo 11 launched)

1952 – Lee de Forest, a legendary and respected engineer, (Father of Radio)
“Man will never reach the Moon… Mortals must live and die on Earth.”

1956 – Sir Richard Woolley, Britain’s top astronomer.
“Space travel is utter bilge.”
— Sir Richard Woolley, Astronomer Royal, 1956

Twelve years after calling it “bilge”, Apollo 8 orbited the Moon and Apollo 11 landed on it.

1957 – Lee de Forest again (Associated Press)
(Yes, he doubled down… and was wrong twice.)

“They will never reach the Moon.”
— Lee de Forest, AP interview, 1957

This was an actual newspaper headline in 1957, by the way. 

1957 – Former Astronomer Royal, Sir Harold Spencer Jones
“Generations will pass before man ever lands on the Moon… and even then he won’t return.”
— Sir Harold Spencer Jones, 1957

Twelve years later:
Humans go, land, walk, take samples, take photos, return home, do interviews, and sign autographs.

1958 – Commander George Van Pelt (U.S. Navy). Director of missiles programme. 

“We are far closer to creating a robot that can think than to sending a man to the Moon.”
— U.S. Navy Commander G. Van Pelt, 1958

1958 – John Rinehart, Director, National Bureau of Standards. The top materials expert in the United States

“We are a long, long way from manned spaceflight.
Not in my lifetime, nor yours.”
— John Rinehart, 1958
 
1959 – Dr. Thomas Gold (cornell), Physicists and Astrophysicists. One of the most famous astrophysicists in the world at the time. 

“The Moon is covered in a deep layer of dust.
Any spacecraft would sink instantly.”
— Thomas Gold, 1959
 
NASA had to model the risk that the lunar module might ‘sink’ into the surface.
 The real outcome: the Moon had only 1–2 centimeters of firm dust

1961 – British Interplanetary Society internal memo

“A manned lunar landing before 1970 is a dream.
We simply do not possess the materials, computing power or propulsion technology.”
— British Interplanetary Society, 1961
 
1964 – The Royal Aeronautical Society (UK)

“Even if America reaches the Moon, returning safely will be beyond current engineering capability.”
— RAeS panel, 1964
 
1967 – After the Apollo 1 fire (pessimistic engineering groups)

“Human beings will not reach the Moon in this decade. The risks and engineering complexity have now surpassed what is achievable.”
— Multiple aerospace safety committees, 1967

1968 – French science magazine Science et Avenir

“There is less than a 10% chance the Apollo program will land a man on the Moon before 1975.”
— Science et Avenir, 1968
 
#Leadership #Engineering #Innovation #Mindset #ThinkBigger
 #MakeItHappen #Strategy #LeadershipDevelopment  #ProjectManagement #ComplexProjects

PPP Executioner | Helping PPP Professionals, Agencies and Equity Providers to market and deliver better PPP Projects | Join the PPP Movement for this Infra tips and stories

One of the most read posts of the year... the reason? It's so common... and so true!

Want to kill a PPP project slowly and painfully?

Just let the agency treat the design review like a control exercise.

Instead of validating risks, they turn it into a line-by-line approval process.

Instead of trusting the performance specs, they try to redesign the asset through comments.

And instead of letting the Independent Engineer lead, they flood the process with consultants who were never briefed on how PPPs actually work.

The result?
Confusion about who’s responsible.
Endless design iterations.
Delays. Claims. Resentment.
And a clear message to the private partner: we don’t trust you.

Let’s be clear: in a PPP, the public sector is not buying drawings.
It’s buying a service.
Delivered by an asset.
Maintained over 25-30 years.

The mindset has to shift.
From “we must approve everything”
To:
“We’ve transferred risk. Let’s manage outcomes.”

Until that happens, many PPPs will keep falling into the same trap:

Pretending it’s a traditional contract, while expecting extraordinary results.

#PPP  #PublicPrivatePartnership  #Infrastructure  #ProjectDelivery  #DesignReview  #RiskAllocation  #IndependentEngineer  #ConstructionContracts  #InfrastructureLeadership  #MindsetShift

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Vicente Valencia

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The Battle

Stephanie Loewenstern

Vicente Valencia

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Stephanie Loewenstern's LinkedIn Performance

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