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S22E7: Boeing Didn’t Win the Race – It Just Survived It

Management Consulted Season 22 Episode 7

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Boeing’s rebound isn’t about brilliance. It’s about not losing in a brutal duopoly.

In this episode of Market Outsiders, Jenny Rae and Namaan break down what Boeing’s post-crisis recovery really signals — and why its future depends less on innovation and more on execution over time.

We cover:

  • Why Boeing’s biggest advantage is the Airbus duopoly, not outperformance
  • How long delivery timelines distort cash flow, pricing, and leverage
  • What it would actually take for Boeing to reach $10B in free cash flow

This is a case study in capital intensity, regulation, and survival in one of the hardest businesses in the world.

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Chapters:

  • 00:00 Boeing’s Crisis and Lost Trust
  • 02:52 Boeing vs Airbus: The Duopoly
  • 05:05 A “Comeback” Driven by Demand
  • 08:47 Orders vs Deliveries vs Cash
  • 12:04 Regulation, Quality, and Bottlenecks
  • 16:22 Can Boeing Reach $10B Free Cash Flow?
  • 19:56 Defense as the Real Growth Engine
  • 27:50 Innovation vs Execution
  • 33:26 Why Deliveries Matter Most
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