Blockchain Basics, Supersonic Flights, and Plasma Rockets

Author

Nevron io
February 13, 2025

Welcome to the fifth edition of our weekly newsletter.

We would like to thank every single one of you who read last week’s edition, gave us feedback and we encourage you to keep doing so.

As usual, we’re breaking down key digital changes in the past week:

  • How Productivity Suites Streamline SMB Operations

  • Supersonic Flights Without The Boom

  • Russia Develops Plasma Rocket Engine Capable of 30-Day Mars Missions

  • Case Study: How an Automotive Firm Used a SaaS Strategy to Speed Up Checkouts by 50% and Save 2M Annually

  • Jargon Buster: Blockchain Explained (and Why It’s Not Just for Bitcoin)

Let’s dive in.

How Productivity Suites Streamline SMB Operations

Over 60% of SMBs now use productivity suites like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace to eliminate app sprawl and boost efficiency. Here’s how these tools are transforming workflows for leaders at every level.

The Productivity Suite Edge

SMBs juggle 5+ apps daily for email, docs, meetings, and file sharing—a fragmented tech stack that wastes 10+ hours/week on administrative chaos. Productivity suites consolidate these tools into unified platforms which tackle:

  • Security risks: Managing multiple vendors increases breach vulnerabilities.

  • Collaboration gaps: Remote teams struggle with version control and internal feedback.

How Can This Help Me?

  1. Consolidation & Integration

    • Microsoft 365: Combines Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and Office apps.

    • Google Workspace: Integrates Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet.

    • Teams using unified platforms report 35% faster task completion.

  2. AI-Powered Automation

    • Microsoft Copilot: Drafts emails, summarizes meetings, tracks deadlines.

    • Google Gemini: Flags workflow bottlenecks and analyzes data across Docs/Sheets.

    • Managers using AI tools save 22% of their time on routine tasks.

  3. Security Centralization

    • Built-in MFA, encryption, and centralized admin controls cut breaches by 40%.

    • Admins monitor threats via a single dashboard in Microsoft 365.

  4. Cost Efficiency

    • Tiered pricing: Start at 6€/user (Google) or 12.50€/user (Microsoft).

    • Scalability: No upfront hardware costs; add/remove users as needed.

Actionable Steps for Leaders

For New Owners:

  • Start with Google Workspace Essentials (6€/user) for docs, drive, and meetings.

  • Use Microsoft Teams Exploratory (free for 12 months) to test if it works for you.

For SMBs:

  • Audit tools: Cut redundancies (e.g., Dropbox if using Google Drive).

  • Train teams on AI shortcuts (e.g., Copilot for email drafting).

For C-Suite:

  • Adopt Microsoft 365 E5 (57€/user) for advanced security/analytics.

If you’d like to know more about this or need any help implementing any of these solutions, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll gladly lend you a helping hand.

Supersonic Flights Without The Boom

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 test jet just shattered the sound barrier silently—a breakthrough that could revive supersonic air travel by 2030.

What Does This Mean?

Supersonic jets (faster than 1,236 km/h) have been banned over land since 1973 due to their 200+ PLdB sonic booms—louder than a thunderclap. The XB-1’s stealthy Mach 1.7 flight solves this with:

  • Aerodynamic shaping: A needle-like nose and delta wings disperse shockwaves.

  • Engine placement: Three J85 turbojets minimize pressure buildup.

  • AI simulations: Predicted noise reduction to 75 PLdB—quieter than a car door slam.

“This isn’t just about speed—it’s about making supersonic travel compatible with communities,” says Boom CEO Blake Scholl.

How Does It Work?

  1. Low-Boom Design
    Shockwaves are stretched over longer distances, softening the “boom” to a faint “thump.” NASA’s Quesst mission validated similar tech could enable overland supersonic flights by 2030.

  2. Sustainable Fuel
    The XB-1 runs on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), cutting CO2 emissions by 80% vs. conventional jets.

  3. Market Potential
    Boom’s planned Overture jet (2026 rollout) could slash NYC-London flights to 3.5 hours (vs. 7+). Over 1,200 routes are viable for supersonic travel, per Boom’s analysis.

Visual Representation of Demo

Can’t see the image? Click here

The Potential Impact

  • Business travel: Executives could attend morning meetings in London and dinners in NYC.

  • Logistics: High-value cargo (e.g., pharmaceuticals, luxury goods) shipped globally in half the time.

  • Regulatory shifts: FAA and EU are already drafting rules for “low-boom” supersonic corridors.

This could be revolutionary for safe, supersonic commercial flights. Something the Concorde couldn’t achieve.

Russia Develops Plasma Rocket Engine Capable of 30-Day Mars Missions

Russian scientists at Rosatom have unveiled a prototype plasma rocket engine that could slash Mars travel time from 9 months to just 30 days which could be revolutionary for interplanetary exploration.

The Problem with Conventional Engines

Current Mars missions take 6–9 months one-way, exposing astronauts to dangerous cosmic radiation.

Rosatom’s Alexey Voronov notes: “A year in deep space is lethal. Cutting transit time to 30–60 days makes crewed missions feasible.”

The Plasma Engine Breakthrough

  • How it works: Charged particles (electrons/protons) are accelerated between electrodes via magnetic fields, ejecting plasma at 100 km/s 

  • Power: Operates at 300kW average power in pulse mode, far exceeding traditional engines.

  • Thrust: Generates 6N of force—modest but sustained, ideal for deep-space acceleration.

A 14-meter vacuum chamber now tests the prototype, simulating space conditions.

Plasma Engine Prototype

Image blocked? Click here to see it

The Math

  • Mars distance: ~140 million miles.

  • 30-day trip: Requires ~195,000 mph average speed.

  • Engine capability: Particles hit 223,700 mph, enabling rapid acceleration post-launch.

Traditional rockets would still launch the craft to orbit; the plasma engine takes over for the journey.

Global Race to Mars

  • ESA/USA: Developing nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) for 3–4 month trips.

  • Russia’s edge: Plasma tech could enable interstellar travel.

  • Timeline: Flight-ready engine targeted for 2030.

Case Study: How an Automotive Firm Used a SaaS Strategy to Speed Up Checkouts by 50% and Save 2M Annually

Facing 30% customer drop-off on clunky dealer portals, a leading automaker overhauled its digital retail strategy with targeted SaaS deployment. What did it result in? Faster sales, happier customers, and $2M saved annually.

The automaker’s 500+ dealerships were drowning in chaos:

  • Fragmented tools: 15+ disconnected systems for inventory, CRM, and financing.

  • Manual inefficiency: Dealers wasted 20+ hours/month reconciling data across “echo chambers”.

  • CX breakdowns: No real-time inventory visibility, delayed financing approvals.

Customers abandoned purchases due to slow, opaque processes.

The SaaS Overhaul

The company consolidated its tech stack into Salesforce Commerce Cloud, enabling:

  • Real-time inventory tracking across all dealerships.

  • Instant financing approvals via Dealertrack integrations.

  • Automated trade-in valuations to reduce errors.

To boost Customer Experience, they added:

  • AI chatbots handling 40% of routine inquiries (e.g., stock checks).

  • Dynamic pricing tools adjusting offers based on local demand.

How It Helped The Business

  • 50% faster checkouts: Purchases completed in 8 minutes (vs. 16).

  • 25% higher conversions: Abandoned carts plummeted with unified inventory.

  • $2M/year saved: Automated workflows slashed manual labor costs.

Dealers shifted focus from data entry to consultative selling, while customers enjoyed transparent pricing and availability.

Read The Full Case Study: Flevy Case Study

Jargon Buster: Blockchain Explained (and Why It’s Not Just for Bitcoin)

Blockchain sounds intimidating, but it’s just a shared digital ledger that records transactions securely and transparently. Think of it like a Google Doc everyone can view, but no one can edit without group consensus.

How It Works

  1. Transactions (like payments or contracts) are grouped into “blocks.”

  2. Each block gets a unique code (hash) that locks it in place.

  3. Blocks are linked in a chain—tampering with one breaks the entire chain.

  4. No central authority: Copies exist across thousands of computers globally.

This setup prevents fraud (e.g., fake invoices) and ensures transparency.

Why It’s Useful for Businesses

Blockchain isn’t just for crypto. Walmart uses it to trace food recalls in seconds instead of days. It can also automate contracts, track goods from factory to shelf, and cut middlemen costs.

Public vs. Private Blockchains

  • Public: Open to anyone (e.g., Bitcoin), but slower and anonymous.

  • Private: Controlled by your company, faster, and better for sensitive data.


Blockchain is a tool to build trust and streamline ops—if used wisely.

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