Moonshot thinking

Most entrepreneurs will consider their mission statement or vision, and their core company values. But how often do entrepreneurs think about their moonshot mission? Moonshots are becoming more commonplace in the startup world – but what are they?

Originating from Apollo’s aim of landing a man on the moon, a moonshot is a mission that may seem out of reach, something which is not representative of what is achievable today, maybe even considered a bold ambition. But it is something which ensures that startups don’t become complacent and it forces them to look beyond predetermined concepts of how something should be done.

Setting yourself an excessively far-reaching mission can become demotivating for any startup, however similarly, setting mediocre easy-to-achieve goals can instil a lack of drive to want to achieve more and therefore create barriers to growth. Moonshots have the intention of balancing both and are there to allow startups to design the future and disrupt what is considered the norm. This is why moonshots are closely linked to the growth of technology, as smaller businesses are able to disrupt industries in less time with fewer resources. This means you don’t necessarily need to be a large corporation to have a big impact.

In agriculture there are many challenges facing the industry, from climate change and sustainable food production, to financial uncertainty and changing consumer trends. AgriTech innovations are on the rise to ensure best practice in the agri-food supply chain – so have a think about your moonshot missions in tackling some of agriculture’s most challenging obstacles!

To learn more about current moonshot missions, take a look at “X” – Alphabet’s moonshot factory for building audacious ideas that can be brought to reality through science and technology.

On August 15th Farm491 will be hosting a workshop at our HQ in Cirencester as part of KTN’s AgriTech showcase. Being led by Farm491’s Luke Halsey, we are also joined by Richard Johnson of New Model, who will deliver inspiring content to get the delegates to ‘dream big’, which will include delving into moonshot missions.