moonshots
Wildly ambitious projects
Moonshots are ambitious, groundbreaking projects that aim for transformative breakthroughs rather than incremental progress.
The term derives from the 1960s Apollo missions to land humans on the moon—endeavors that seemed nearly impossible but succeeded through massive investment and coordinated effort.
In business and technology, a moonshot is a long-shot venture with potential for enormous impact: Google's moonshots include self-driving cars and extending human lifespan.
The word implies willingness to risk failure in pursuit of revolutionary change.
Recklessly or disrespectfully fearless
- ambitiousStrongly desiring achievement
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
- boldCourageous and daring
- daringAdventurous courage
transformative · revolutionary · impossible · aspirational · breakthrough · game-changing · disruptive · unprecedented
Sun deity, moonshot namesake
- NASAFederal space exploration bureau
- lunarOf the moon
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- astronautSpacecraft crew member
landing · Kennedy · Saturn V · mission · orbit · spacecraft · launchpad · Houston
Creating something original
- SpaceXPrivate rocket manufacturer
- DARPADefense technology research agency
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
- developmentProgress toward maturity
funding · venture · startup · Silicon Valley · Elon Musk · prototype · lab · engineering
Possibility of harm
- failureLack of success
- setbackReverse in progress
- pivotPoint of rotation
- iterationRepeated procedural pass
learning · resilience · persistence · long-term · patience · investment · burn rate · skeptics
Ten times over
- stretch goalsAdditional targets beyond minimums
- mission-drivenGuided by core purpose
- purposeReason something exists
- impactForceful contact or consequence
legacy · vision · manifesto · roadmap · milestones · objectives · targets · initiatives
audacious
Recklessly or disrespectfully fearless
- ambitiousStrongly desiring achievement
- visionaryImaginative planner of futures
- boldCourageous and daring
daring · transformative · revolutionary · impossible · aspirational · breakthrough · game-changing · disruptive · unprecedented · trailblazing
Apollo
Sun deity, moonshot namesake
astronaut · landing · Kennedy · Saturn V · mission · orbit · spacecraft · launchpad · Houston · Neil Armstrong
innovation
Creating something original
- SpaceXPrivate rocket manufacturer
- DARPADefense technology research agency
- researchSystematic fact-finding effort
development · funding · venture · startup · Silicon Valley · Elon Musk · prototype · lab · engineering · invention
risk
Possibility of harm
iteration · learning · resilience · persistence · long-term · patience · investment · burn rate · skeptics · critics
10x
Ten times over
- stretch goalsAdditional targets beyond minimums
- mission-drivenGuided by core purpose
- purposeReason something exists
impact · legacy · vision · manifesto · roadmap · milestones · objectives · targets · initiatives · ventures
- innovation ecosystemstech hubs, science parks, incubators, accelerators, innovation centers
- Startupsstartup, founder, founders, startups, co-founder
moonshotssafe bets
Likely winning wagers
sure things · low-hanging fruit · no-brainers · calculated risks · slam dunks
moonshotsbaby steps
Cautious incremental progress
small steps · small wins · quick fixes · small potatoes · local initiatives
moonshotsincrementalism
Change through small steps
gradualism · continuous improvement · kaizen · evolutionary change · tweaks