My problem with this article is the focus on the "startup" mythology of moving fast and breaking things. Break a Coulomb barrier, first, and then come talk to us.

I really liked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0KuAx1COEk for a discussion of how to evaluate and understand fusion claims, as well as a discussion of the high-field REBCO tapes that seem poised to enable the ARC/SPARC reactors out of MIT. Another video I like is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMxOvuSMAug , featuring Steven Cowley.

In short, newly commercially available high temperature superconductors in mass quantities seem poised to give us at least a doubling of available magnetic field strength, and all the figure of merit that improve only linearly with size improve to the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th power with magnetic field strength. This is what could lead to break-even before ITER, not the mythology of American entrepreneurial moxie.

In my opinion, the article author knows whom he's flattering.