At Proxima, we’re building one of the most ambitious technologies ever attempted: the world’s first stellarator fusion power plant. That requires more than deep technical excellence – it demands systems thinking, a relentless growth mindset, global collaboration, intellectual rigor, and the willingness to rethink how hard things get built.

If you’re interested in working at Proxima, here’s a recommended reading list that shows you how we think, what we’re building, and what sort of standards we hold ourselves to.

Understanding Proxima and Our Bet on Stellarators

Proxima Fusion’s Series A: What does it take for first time founders to raise $150M for fusion within two years of founding?‍

A clear-eyed look from one of our investors at why Proxima exists, what made our trajectory possible, and why fusion can now move at startup speed.

Why Now: The Case for Stellarators in 2025

An explanation of how recent advances in simulation, magnets, and manufacturing have shifted the fusion landscape to make stellarators the surest path toward commercialization.

From Twisted Beginnings to Quasi-Isodynamic Symmetry: The Rise of QI Stellarators

A concise history of stellarator development, and why quasi-isodynamic (QI) symmetry is central to our approach.

Stellaris: A high-field quasi-isodynamic stellarator for a prototypical fusion power plant‍

Our peer-reviewed Stellaris paper outlines the physics, engineering, and performance targets behind our first-of-a-kind stellarator power plant concept.

Stellarators as a fast path to fusion‍

A big picture perspective on why stellarators have re-emerged as a leading fusion concept, and what’s changed scientifically and computationally to make them viable.

How We Build, Work, and Decide

The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet by Arthur Turrell‍

An introduction to fusion and its ecosystem – as well as why our mission matters.

Team of Teams by Gen. Stanley McChrystal‍

This book captures how decentralized trust and shared context outperform rigid hierarchies in complex, fast-moving teams like ours.

Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell‍

An honest guide to turning breakthrough ideas into real products, written by someone who has lived through the consequences of both good and bad decisions.

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben R. Rich‍

A classic account of how small, empowered teams can deliver world-changing technology under extreme constraints.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz‍

A book all about confronting setbacks and uncertainty while having to deliver in a world when no clear solutions exist.

Radical Candor by Kim Scott

Giving good feedback requires incorporating praise alongside criticism – and we’re all about cultivating a healthy feedback culture at Proxima.

How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner‍

Eye-opening reading for anyone working on big, ambitious projects. This book explains why most fail… and how disciplined realism can lead to success.

We’ll keep adding to and updating this list over time.