#6 – ForeFlight – Intuition, Passion, and Domain Expertise: The Building Blocks of Success

In this episode, we talked to Tyson Weihs (@tysonweihs). Tyson is the cofounder and CEO of ForeFlight, the market leading provider of critically acclaimed integrated flight application software for aviation.

Since its founding in the garages of the two founders in 2007, ForeFlight has grown into a multinational operation with offices in the United States and Europe. ForeFlight flight serves personal, business, military, and commercial flight operations around the world. The company was acquired by Boeing in 2019.

ForeFlight is a four-time recipient of the Flying Magazine Editor's Choice Award, recipient of Plane & Pilot Platinum Award, and recipient of the Aviation Week Laureate Award for best new product. In 2018 Tyson and cofounder Jason Miller were presented the Eren Ozman Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Living Legends of Aviation for their achievements.

In 2019 Tyson and Jason were awarded the prestigious General Aviation Safety award by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for improving the safety of flight. In 2020 Tyson will be inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame. Tyson serves on the boards of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association where he chairs the Flight Operations Policy committee, and the NBAA Advisory Board.

I first met Tyson when he joined my company in our very first year. Tyson is an incredibly smart engineer and helped us build our first products before he moved to Texas to obtain his MBA from Rice University.

In our conversation, we discussed a wide array of topics, including: 

• how Tyson built a team that could capitalize on disruptive technologies 
• the important role of serendipity in our lives and careers 
• how to increase decision speed through domain expertise and intuition
• first-mover advantage with new technology 
• the concept of one time payments versus subscription model 
• the beginning days of the Apple App Store, where ForeFlight was one of the first apps available, and their behind-the-scenes access to the Apple team 
• how following your passion can lead to business success 
• how Tyson's early business exposure in his father's restaurant and then his mother's art shows shaped his thoughts on customer experience

Please enjoy my conversation with Tyson, and if you have questions that you'd like to hear covered in future episodes or recommendations for future guests, please email me at [e-mail]. Thanks and enjoy.