Tech Scenes Unplugged with Abhishek Chopra CEO & Founder of BQP

Tech Scenes Unplugged with Abhishek Chopra, CEO & Founder of BQP

Why the Future of Innovation Depends on Better Thinking, Not Just Better Computers

In this episode of Tech Scenes Unplugged, Collective Genius Founder Jeff Martin sits down with Abhishek Chopra, CEO and Founder of BQP, to discuss one of the most fascinating intersections in modern technology: quantum computing, aerospace engineering, modeling and simulation, and the future of innovation.

While much of the technology world is focused on AI, Abhishek and his team are tackling a different challenge—accelerating some of the world's most complex engineering and scientific simulations by applying quantum-inspired mathematics before practical quantum computers even arrive.

The result is a fascinating conversation about entrepreneurship, deep technology, scientific problem solving, leadership, resilience, customer obsession, and what it takes to build a company around a problem that most people don't even realize exists.

Watch and Listen

Watch the Full Episode on YouTube

https://youtu.be/Ys9Sy67wql4

Listen on Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1j3JIxTOkP2uGdFcKbew2K?si=jOwRNV3XScuhLoHH09WjbA

Meet BQP

BQP is a dual-use technology company focused on accelerating modeling and simulation through quantum-inspired computing.

The company's mission is ambitious:

Make engineering simulations dramatically faster and more effective while preparing industries for the future of quantum computing.

Unlike many quantum startups that are waiting for large-scale quantum computers to become commercially viable, BQP is applying quantum mathematics today using existing computing infrastructure.

Their work spans aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, and other industries where simulation drives innovation.

What Is Modeling and Simulation?

Most people interact with products every day without realizing how much simulation went into creating them.

Everything from airplanes and automobiles to weather forecasting systems and consumer products relies on modeling and simulation.

Before engineers build something physically, they create digital representations and test thousands of possibilities.

The challenge is that many of these simulations require enormous computing power.

In some cases, a single simulation can take months to complete.

That limitation slows innovation.

It increases development costs.

It reduces the number of design options organizations can evaluate.

And ultimately, it prevents industries from moving as quickly as they could.

Why Engineering Progress Has Slowed

One of the most eye-opening insights from the conversation is Abhishek's argument that engineering progress is increasingly constrained by outdated computational approaches.

Many simulation systems still rely on mathematical frameworks developed decades ago.

Computers have evolved dramatically.

The underlying mathematics often has not.

As computing architectures shifted from CPU-dominated systems toward GPU-based systems, many engineering tools struggled to fully capitalize on modern hardware.

The result is a growing gap between available computing power and the software designed to use it.

BQP is attempting to close that gap.

Quantum Without Quantum Computers

One of the most interesting concepts discussed is what BQP calls "quantum without quantum."

Most people think quantum computing requires quantum computers.

Abhishek explains that quantum computing actually emerged from a broader field called quantum information science.

The mathematical principles can be applied even before quantum hardware reaches maturity.

BQP leverages these quantum-inspired mathematical frameworks today while preparing for future quantum computing infrastructure.

This allows customers to benefit immediately rather than waiting years for the technology ecosystem to mature.

Why the Future Is Not Just Quantum

One of the strongest points Abhishek makes challenges a common misconception.

Many people assume quantum computers will eventually replace traditional computers.

He argues the future is far more likely to be collaborative.

The future consists of:

CPUs
GPUs
Quantum Computers

Working together.

Different workloads will run on different architectures.

The organizations that understand how to leverage all three will gain significant competitive advantages.

The breakthrough is not choosing one technology.

The breakthrough is orchestrating all of them effectively.

Real-World Impact

BQP's work is already creating measurable outcomes.

One aerospace manufacturer partnered with the company to optimize critical aircraft components.

Using quantum-inspired optimization techniques, BQP achieved:

6% additional weight reduction
10x faster design optimization
Significant fuel savings
Potential downstream savings measured in billions of dollars

These improvements demonstrate how seemingly small engineering advances can create enormous economic impact at scale.

A few percentage points of improvement in aerospace can translate into billions of dollars in value.

Entrepreneurship Through the Lens of Engineering

Abhishek's journey into entrepreneurship is particularly interesting because it began with scientific curiosity rather than a desire to start a company.

As an aerospace engineer and computational scientist, he became obsessed with solving a specific problem.

That obsession eventually evolved into a business opportunity.

The company emerged not from chasing trends but from pursuing a problem that deeply mattered.

This pattern appears frequently among successful technical founders.

The strongest companies often emerge when founders become consumed by solving a problem rather than building a company.

A Lesson Every Founder Needs to Hear

Early in BQP's journey, one advisor shared a lesson that fundamentally shaped the company:

A business exists to create value and make money.

For researchers and technical founders, this transition can be difficult.

Scientists often focus on:

Research
Publications
Awards
Technical breakthroughs

Entrepreneurs must focus on:

Customers
Value creation
Market demand
Sustainable growth

Abhishek explains that this mindset shift helped transform the company from a research effort into a commercial organization.

Why Customer Obsession Matters

One of the most valuable sections of the conversation focuses on customer relationships.

Like many startups, BQP experienced moments where customer expectations were not fully met.

Rather than becoming defensive, the company listened.

They adapted.

They improved.

Abhishek credits much of the company's growth to a simple principle:

Treat the customer as the center of the business.

Innovation only matters if it creates value.

Technical excellence only matters if customers benefit from it.

Listening often becomes a startup's greatest competitive advantage.

The Scientific Method and Entrepreneurship

A recurring theme throughout the episode is the similarity between entrepreneurship and scientific research.

Both involve:

Forming hypotheses
Running experiments
Measuring results
Learning from failures
Adjusting based on evidence

The best founders often operate like scientists.

They avoid becoming emotionally attached to assumptions.

Instead, they focus on discovering reality faster.

Every customer conversation becomes an experiment.

Every product release becomes a learning opportunity.

Every failure becomes data.

Scaling Is Harder Than Starting

One of Abhishek's most insightful observations is that growth creates challenges that are often more difficult than survival.

Many founders expect the hardest moments to occur when resources are limited.

Instead, complexity often increases when organizations begin scaling.

Success creates new problems:

More customers
More employees
More communication needs
More operational complexity

Scaling requires new systems, processes, and leadership capabilities.

Growth itself becomes a management challenge.

Why Communication Is a Competitive Advantage

As BQP expanded, communication became increasingly important.

The team is distributed.

Work is highly technical.

Customer expectations are significant.

Abhishek believes overcommunication is almost impossible.

Leaders must continuously communicate:

Direction
Priorities
Context
Expectations
Decisions

Without communication, alignment deteriorates.

Without alignment, execution slows.

Without execution, growth stalls.

The Future of Aerospace Innovation

Toward the end of the conversation, Abhishek shares his perspective on the next major breakthrough in aerospace.

His answer:

Digital Twins.

Digital twins are highly accurate digital representations of physical systems.

Instead of building and testing expensive physical prototypes repeatedly, organizations can simulate behavior digitally.

The ability to model reality more accurately creates opportunities for faster innovation, lower costs, and safer systems.

In industries like aerospace, where mistakes are expensive and testing cycles are long, digital twins may become one of the most important innovation tools of the next decade.

Key Quotes from the Episode

"The future is a CPU, a GPU, and a quantum computer sitting next to each other."

"We are commercializing quantum without quantum."

"A business is in the business of making money."

"If you're not creating value, you're in the wrong business."

"Treat the customer as everything."

"The hardest moments often come during growth."

"Communication is impossible to overdo."

"Entrepreneurship is the scientific method."

Key Takeaways

Innovation often begins by solving overlooked problems.
Quantum-inspired computing can create value today.
Customer obsession is more important than technical elegance.
Entrepreneurship and science share many similarities.
Scaling creates challenges different from startup survival.
Communication becomes increasingly important as companies grow.
Future computing environments will combine CPUs, GPUs, and quantum systems.
Digital twins may transform engineering innovation.
Learning faster creates competitive advantage.
Great founders remain deeply connected to customer value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does BQP do?

BQP accelerates modeling and simulation through quantum-inspired computing technologies designed for aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering applications.

What is quantum-inspired computing?

Quantum-inspired computing applies mathematical concepts from quantum information science using today's computing infrastructure rather than requiring fully mature quantum computers.

Why are simulations important?

Simulations allow organizations to test designs digitally before building physical products, reducing cost, risk, and development time.

What is a digital twin?

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical product, process, or system used to simulate real-world behavior.

Why is communication important for startups?

As organizations grow, communication creates alignment, improves decision-making, and helps teams execute more effectively.

What can founders learn from science?

Scientific thinking encourages experimentation, learning, adaptation, and evidence-based decision making.

Related Insights

About Abhishek Chopra

Abhishek Chopra is the CEO and Founder of BQP, a quantum-inspired computing company focused on accelerating modeling and simulation for aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering applications. With a background in aerospace engineering and computational science, Abhishek is helping bridge the gap between emerging quantum technologies and real-world industrial challenges.

About Collective Genius

Collective Genius helps founders, leadership teams, investors, and scaling organizations improve alignment, execution, leadership effectiveness, and organizational performance through coaching, advisory services, and business operating systems.

Learn more:

https://www.collective-genius.com

About Peak OS

Peak OS is the business operating system developed by Collective Genius to help growing organizations create alignment, accountability, communication, and execution as they scale.