Tara Chklovski of Technovation reflects on rocket launch

Editor’s note: We profiled Menlo Park resident Tara Chklovski in advance of her launching a rocket. Here are her thoughts post launch.

It was two years of hard work and learning, but the most incredible experience was all the people who came to support me with pure love and enthusiasm, just to build something together.

The feeling is special, and maybe you have experienced it. When someone gives you a helping hand when you are tired. When you’re playing with your team, and the ball is passing between you, and you all are moving forward in a flow state. Building and creating something real together gives us a shared experience, and helps us feel safe and cared for.

And that is why I am really worried that in this age of AI, we may be setting ourselves and our children up for having fewer of these deeply human fulfilling experiences.

We didn’t do a good job bringing social media to our children. We can see the effects at all ages, all around the world.

We are social, relational beings and we get purpose from helping one another. One path in this AI-driven world could be to help our children orient toward easing the suffering of others, toward meaning, purpose and joy.

How do we do that? That is the entrepreneur’s journey, and what Technovation has been doing for years. It takes courage to leap into the unknown, and there has never been a more important time to build.

What is your source of courage to embark on something like this?

I have found the truest courage comes from other people. People inspire me and give me courage to try hard things, to go beyond the line I drew for myself.

Running Technovation is an incredible and intense journey because we are trying to do hard things every day, step into the unknown — and fly.

There are many rivers of courage that flow into my lake, and one of them is building rockets. Everything about being a rocketeer is way outside my comfort zone. But for some reason, shooting huge, powerful rockets into the sky captures our awe and wonder. To be the one engineering it all is a source of tremendous confidence for me.

But the real reason rockets have been such fertile ground for me is the people. It has been such a special experience to work with people who just care about my success, who spend almost hundreds of hours helping me. That is such a special feeling of compassion and care.

So a huge thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey, especially Becky & Jim Green, Paul Pittenger, Paul Yarin and Minna.

And now an invitation. At the end of the year we are going to do a big rocket adventure, to support courageous builders all over the world. If you are interested, come be part of my next rocket crew!

Sign up here.