It's certainly not a guarantee that this works out but that's true of any speculative enterprise. Personally, I think a speculative world where Asia <> West Coast US is as fast as West Coast US <> East Coast US is pretty exciting.
> Not sure if there is basic/core technology development being done or valuable technology being generated. Is supersonic flight essentially just throwing a lot of jet fuel at the problem of wanting to get someplace fast? Are we expecting to see novel insights and spinoff technologies from the development of this plane and industry?
See FAQ page entries: "Will Overture use afterburners like Concorde?" and "Why did it take so long to bring supersonic flight back after the Concorde?"
> I think there's a key, core military angle to this company, where their best and most stable and lucrative customers are sure to be nation-states. I think there is some real value to be generated around super-sonic technology development for missile applications, drone applications, fighter jet applications.
Scholl indicated Boom Supersonic had no interest in a Boom product becoming a weapons platform at this time. From: https://simpleflying.com/xb-1-first-flight/
More broadly, supersonic missiles and fighter jets already exist.
> Rich people and nation states will pay through the nose
See "How much will tickets cost?" from the FAQ. Business class pricing seems eminently reasonable for this service.
> [W]asteful and extremely obnoxious technologies that degrade humanity as a whole
See "How is Boom dealing with the sonic boom?" and "What steps is Boom taking to make supersonic travel environmentally sustainable?"