Hardware Podcasts

S3 E9 Scaling Mission-Critical Hardware: Ops Lessons from Space & Fusion with Darby Dunn

The Builder Circle · 10 Feb 2026 · 1h 24m

What this episode covers

Darby Dunn, Vice President of Advanced Manufacturing at Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and former SpaceX leader, discusses scaling mission-critical hardware operations. She details the design and manufacturing of superconducting magnets like the TFMC and CSMC, the strategic decision to insource magnet production while outsourcing the vacuum vessel, and the importance of defining core competencies and key metrics like cost per kilowatt-hour. Dunn also shares lessons on hiring exceptional talent, maintaining safety culture, and the critical 'test as you fly' mantra derived from a valve failure incident at SpaceX.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Commonwealth Fusion Systems, SpaceX, MIT
Products
Dragon spacecraft, TFMC, CSMC, Spark
Tools
Jiga

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