Overview
In the earliest days of a spacetech company, your mission and vision are not just words on a slide—they are the compass for every decision, every hire, and every dollar raised or spent. This section is designed to help founders realign with their deeper purpose, articulate a compelling long-term vision, and ensure their north star is guiding both internal execution and external communications.
Part 1: Defining Your Mission
Purpose: Clearly articulate why your company exists and what problem you're solving.
Prompt Questions:
What fundamental problem or market failure are we addressing?
Why does this problem matter to humanity, to Earth, or to the space economy?
What motivates us to solve this now?
Template: Mission Statement Worksheet
Problem: _________________________________
Our Unique Insight: ________________________
Our Core Solution: _________________________
Mission Statement (one sentence): “We exist to [solve X problem] by [Y unique method], creating [Z impact].”
Example:
We exist to democratize in-orbit servicing through modular robotic systems, extending satellite life and reducing space debris.
Part 2: Crafting Your Vision
Purpose: Define your long-term aspirational outcome—what the world looks like if you succeed.
Prompt Questions:
What does the world look like 10 years from now because of our success?
How will life on Earth or beyond be fundamentally different?
How will people feel the impact of our work, even if they don’t know our name?
Template: Vision Statement Worksheet
Desired Future State: _______________________
Role We Play: _____________________________
Impact We Enable: _________________________
Vision Statement (one sentence): “In 10 years, we envision a world where [desired future state], enabled by [our unique contribution].”
Example:
In 10 years, we envision a lunar economy supported by autonomous logistics systems we’ve deployed from Earth orbit to the Moon.
Part 3: Vision-Mission Fit Audit
Purpose: Ensure that your mission (what you do today) is logically connected to your vision (what you hope to achieve).
Audit Questions:
Is our current product roadmap advancing us toward our vision?
Are we communicating our vision clearly to investors and team members?
Do our hiring and fundraising priorities support the long game?
Worksheet: Vision-Mission Alignment Grid
Initiative Short-Term Goal Link to Mission Link to Vision
Part 4: Positioning Your North Star
Purpose: Translate your mission/vision into a strategic north star that guides branding, pitch, and GTM.
Core Questions:
What category do we want to own?
What unique belief do we hold that others don’t?
What’s the one sentence we want investors and customers to remember?
Worksheet: North Star Narrative
Category We’re Defining: ____________________
Our Contrarian Insight: ______________________
Our One-Line Rallying Cry: “We believe [X], so we’re building [Y].”
Example:
We believe that orbital logistics is the missing link in a sustainable space economy—so we’re building autonomous space tugs to solve it.
Part 5: Founder Alignment Exercises
Purpose: Align co-founders and early team members around shared purpose and future.
Exercise 1: Why Are You Here? (Co-Founder Values Mapping)
Each founder lists their top 3 personal values
Each founder writes their personal why for this company
Discuss overlap and divergences
Exercise 2: Build the Tombstone
Imagine your company has succeeded wildly and is now defunct 50 years from now. What does the tombstone say?