35. Cargo without borders: How airships are about to connect the unreachable | Mark Dorey

Did you know that nearly half the planet still isn’t connected? In many places, getting essential supplies like medicine and food is not only costly, it’s nearly impossible. But what if we were standing on the edge of a breakthrough that could change all of that? On this episode of All About Business, we're joined by Mark Dorey, co-founder and CEO of Straightline Aviation. A pioneering company building hybrid airships designed to deliver cargo to the most remote corners of the world. No roads, no airports - no problems. It’s a bold mission with the power to reshape global logistics and unlock new possibilities for connection, commerce, and care. Mark shares how he turned an ambitious idea into a real business, what to look for in the right business partner, and some of the great lessons he learned when working alongside Richard Branson. 01:42 Introduction 04:04 How Does an Airship Work? 06:55 Why the Early Popularity of Airships? 12:04 The Customer Benefits of Airships 19:06 Mark's Early Career 24:15 Changing Business Models 29:51 Future Scale 32:07 Learning from Richard Branson 34:35 Delegation and Accountability 44:49 Pros and Cons of Business Partners 47:17 Negotiating and Establishing Business Relationships 51:10 Business Opportunity Check List 52:43 Establishing Shared Vision and Trust Links Check out Straightline Aviation’s website: Follow StraightlineAviation on LinkedIn: Follow James Reed on LinkedIn All About Business is brought to you by Reed Global. Learn more at www.reed.com This podcast was co-produced by Reed Global and Flamingo Media. If you’d like to create a chart-topping podcast to elevate your brand, visit Flamingo-media.co.uk