[irjustin]

> Did SpaceX poach all of Boeing/Airbus' best people?

Definitely part of the reason. They did poach a lot of good people.

SpaceX vs Gov Contractors been the war cry of those who believe Private >> Contractors. Everything Elon has done for SpaceX has been absolutely relentless, and razor focused on the goal. This includes being willing to sacrifice individual's life-balance for the mission. Combine all that with a willingness to do fast iteration and break things where it's "safe" to do so. You've got the ability to disrupt an industry/ecosystem that's gotten lazy and fat over time.

To be clear, Private >> Contractors is not 100% nor is the flip. There are too many examples of both directions either working or not working.