I Tried Flying an Air Taxi With Archer’s CEO (Midnight Simulator)

Video Description

Adam Goldstein, Founder & CEO of Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) gives Sourcery a full behind-the-scenes of Archer’s HQ. In this conversation, Adam breaks down what Archer is building (a new category of aviation), why regulatory and political support matters, and how they’re thinking about scaling from early city deployments to a truly global aircraft business. We also get into why retail investors and Reddit became a major part of Archer’s story, and the market-sizing framework behind “20 aircraft x 1,000 markets.” One part of Archer’s progress that’s very impressive are their significant defense and strategic technology partnerships, including Anduril (hybrid VTOL and unmanned rotorcraft concepts), Palantir (AI and data infrastructure for manufacturing, operations, and airspace systems), its role as the exclusive air taxi provider for the LA 2028 Olympics, and its early expansion partnerships across the UAE. Plus, I try the simulators: first a helicopter-style experience (chaos), then Archer’s Midnight fly-by-wire system (way easier, way more fun). Archer was the first sponsor of Sourcery ever, so it was special to get a full tour! Topics we cover: • What Archer is and how eVTOL air taxis work • The “first new category in aviation in 60 years” and what it takes to unlock it • LA28 Olympics and the path from now to 2028 • EIPP and flying in US cities as soon as next year • Defense market shift toward autonomy at scale and Archer’s partnerships • Going public early, Boeing conflict, and the role of retail liquidity • Why Adam thinks this can become a $100B+ business (and eventually bigger) Adam Goldstein: https://x.com/adamgoldstein13 Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/sourcery/id1738124704?i=1000745444319 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2rQhVBszTzl4ayYMHtxuw0?si=Fb4Zrd46RbGWCU5aIQHDlw 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒 • Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery • Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. https://turing.com/sourcery • Deel—Deel is the global people platform that helps startups hire, manage, pay, and equip anyone, anywhere. Trusted by more than 35,000 fast-growing companies, Deel is the people platform that just works, so teams can scale without the chaos. Visit: https://www.deel.com/sourcery • Public–Investing platform Public just launched Generated Assets, which lets you turn any idea into an investable index with AI. With Generated Assets, you can build, backtest, refine, and invest in any thesis with AI. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all ETFs. https://public.com/sourcery Follow Sourcery for the latest updates! https://www.sourcery.vc/ Disclosure Paid Endorsement. Brokerage services by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC-registered adviser. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC, licensed by the NYSDFS. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time. 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒 (00:00) Adam Goldstein, Founder & CEO Archer Aviation (01:18) Executive orders, EIPP, and federal backing for LA Olympics 2028 (06:21) What makes Archer’s eVTOL different from helicopters & planes (10:21) The Anduril partnership & scalable autonomy (13:15) Going public with 50 employees, Archer Apes, and a big pushback (16:43) The giant candy wall that runs Archer HQ? (18:05) Why storytelling matters as a public company (20:34) Flying Midnight in a simulator: Mechanical vs Fly-by-wire (25:51) Federal backing and the race against time (28:45) Testing eVTOLs in the UAE’s extreme heat and going global (35:31) The brutal reality of building a new-age aviation company (41:51) “Giraffa” & a mystery phone from a politician?