What if your team had a goal so compelling that they couldn’t wait to get back to work each morning? What if you could set a destination so exciting that it naturally aligned everyone’s efforts and unleashed breakthrough thinking?
That’s the power of a true Moonshot – not just any ambitious goal, but the right kind of impossible goal that transforms organizations. When teams discover their authentic Moonshot, something remarkable happens: scattered efforts become unified momentum, and extraordinary achievements suddenly seem within reach.
What Makes a True Moonshot
The term “Moonshot” originates from President Kennedy’s bold 1962 declaration: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade.” At the time, NASA’s team considered reaching the moon an improbable long-shot. Many thought it was impossible – and that was exactly the point.
A true Moonshot should make you a little nervous while simultaneously exciting your entire team. It’s the goal that makes everyone look at each other and think, “Could we really do this?” followed immediately by “Holy shit! We couldn’t! Could we?”
That moment – when you feel the mix of excitement, nervousness, and possibility – tells you you’re on the right track.
The 80/20 Rule of Moonshot Thinking
Through working with hundreds of organizations, I’ve discovered that the most effective Moonshots follow a specific formula: 80% impossible, 20% possible.
This isn’t just arbitrary numbers. The 80% ensures your goal is ambitious enough to stretch your team beyond their comfort zone and unleash breakthrough thinking. The 20% keeps it credible and within the realm of possibility, preventing it from becoming pure fantasy.
When you hit this sweet spot, something magical happens. As NASA engineer Charlie Mars said about the original moon mission: “We didn’t want to go home at night. We just wanted to keep going, and we couldn’t wait to get back to work in the morning.”
The S.T.A.R.S. Framework for Effective Moonshots
To ensure your Moonshot drives results rather than just creating noise, it must meet five essential criteria. I call this the S.T.A.R.S. framework:
S – Stretch
Your Moonshot should be a stretch goal that pushes your team beyond their comfort zone. It should challenge them to think bigger and approach problems differently. If it feels comfortable, it’s not ambitious enough.
T – Tangible
Your Moonshot must be measurable, specific, and time-bound. Vague aspirations don’t create the focus needed for breakthrough results. You need clear success criteria so you can track progress and know when you’ve achieved it.
A – Aspirational
Your Moonshot should inspire and excite your team. It should tap into their passions and motivate them to go above and beyond. If it doesn’t generate energy and enthusiasm, it won’t sustain momentum through inevitable challenges.
R – Relevant
While ambitious, your Moonshot must be credible and aligned with your organization’s capabilities. It should be grounded in reality and within the realm of possibility for your team, even if it requires significant growth and innovation.
S – Singular
Your Moonshot should be one unifying goal. Having multiple competing “moonshots” dilutes focus and hinders progress. One clear destination aligns all efforts and creates the unity needed for extraordinary achievement.
The First Classification System for Moonshot Types
Through analysis of hundreds of real-world moonshots across diverse industries, I’ve identified eight distinct types of moonshots that consistently drive organizational transformation. This classification system—the first of its kind—provides a practical framework for teams to identify which moonshot approach best aligns with their strengths and aspirations.
Different organizations need different types of Moonshots. Here are the eight proven approaches:
1. Quantity Moonshot: Scaling for Success
Focus on dramatically increasing a specific, measurable output.
Example: Oztix – “Enable 30 Million Experiences by 2026” Starting from just 94,787 experiences per month during COVID lockdowns, they’ve achieved months of over 768,000 experiences – more than 8 times their starting point. Their clear, measurable goal provides moments to celebrate and keeps the entire team aligned.
2. Customer Acquisition Moonshot: Targeted Growth
Aim to dramatically grow your customer base in specific segments.
Example: Infectious Clothing – “Secure contract for all staff uniforms at major hospital chain by 2025” They achieved their 4-year Moonshot in just 6 months by staying laser-focused on their target customer and aligning all efforts around this singular goal.
3. Geographic Expansion Moonshot: Conquering New Territories
Target expansion into new physical markets or regions.
Example: Rockcote – “#1 in Every State by 2025” This clear territorial goal energized the entire company, creating focused activity across all teams toward achieving market leadership in each Australian state.
4. Leadership Excellence Moonshot: Setting New Standards
Become the undisputed leader in your field through superior quality or performance.
Example: Brookfarm – “Most valued market-leading brand in our categories by 2025” Their commitment to excellence drove strategic decisions including prioritizing premium partnerships and maintaining unwavering quality standards.
5. New Business Model Moonshot: Reinventing Value Creation
Transform how your organization operates or generates revenue.
Example: Pakko – “80% revenue from online with 50,000 users by 2025” Already halfway to their goal with 25,000+ users, this fundamental shift unified their office and factory teams while attracting new clients.
6. Innovation Moonshot: Pioneering Breakthroughs
Create groundbreaking products, services, or technologies.
Example: exci – “National implementation of integrated fire intelligence solution by 2023” From a small family-run startup to Australia’s largest AI fire detection company, protecting over 39 million acres across four states.
7. Social Impact Moonshot: Driving Meaningful Change
Create significant positive changes in society or communities.
Example: West End State School P&C – “Every Child Enriched, Every Family Engaged” This deceptively simple statement captures their dual mission while providing clear decision-making guidance for their $3.68 million operation.
8. Environmental Moonshot: Leading Sustainability
Make significant positive environmental impact through waste reduction or sustainable practices.
Example: Phronis Consulting – “Drive half-life of waste in infrastructure to a year” This environmental focus opened opportunities for eliminating waste in all forms – money, human effort, and time – creating comprehensive operational improvements.
What to Avoid: Common Moonshot Mistakes
Financial Goals Alone Moonshots like “double revenue” rarely excite teams on a deeper level. Focus on impact rather than just monetary metrics.
Too Many Targets Multiple competing “moonshots” dilute focus. Choose one clear destination that unifies all efforts.
Comfort Zone Goals If your goal feels achievable with current resources and thinking, it’s not ambitious enough to drive breakthrough results.
Vague Aspirations “Become the best” isn’t measurable or time-bound. Specificity creates focus and enables progress tracking.
The Power of Moonshot Momentum
When teams achieve their Moonshots, something remarkable happens. They often accomplish their goals faster than initially thought possible – sometimes in half the time. Why? Because having a clear, exciting destination creates what I call “Moonshot momentum.”
Suddenly, everyone’s energy aligns. Creativity increases. “What if?” conversations emerge naturally. The goal becomes a magnetic force that pulls the entire organization forward.
Consider Infectious Clothing’s experience: they achieved their 4-year hospital contract goal in just 6 months. Or Oztix, who’ve already delivered over 12.4 million experiences with two years still remaining to reach their 30 million target.
Your Moonshot Awaits
You now understand what makes an effective Moonshot: the 80/20 impossibility ratio, the S.T.A.R.S. framework, and the eight distinct types that drive transformation. You’ve seen how organizations across industries have used Moonshots to achieve extraordinary results.
The question isn’t whether your team is capable of remarkable achievements – it’s whether you’re ready to set the impossible goal that will unleash their full potential.
Remember, every great achievement starts with someone daring to dream impossibly big. President Kennedy didn’t know how NASA would reach the moon when he announced the goal – they figured it out because they had a clear destination worth pursuing.
Your organization has the same potential. Your team is ready for a challenge that will stretch and unite them.
What’s your impossible goal? What’s the destination that will make your team’s eyes light up with possibility?
Ready to Craft Your Team’s Moonshot? 🚀
Understanding moonshot types is just the beginning. The real transformation happens when you guide your team through the collaborative process of discovering their authentic Moonshot and aligning it with their deeper Purpose.