Episodes

Government contracting, but with zero fluff. In this episode, we sit down with Travis James—former Army contracting officer and now Head of Contracts at Fortera—for a brutally practical breakdown of how to actually win defens...

What does it feel like to be under fire? How are drones changing warfare? And why does modern military tech so often miss the mark? In this episode, special operations veterans Chris “Gus” Jennings (5th Special Forces Group) ...

Most VC-backed defense startups stall, pivot, and eventually die. John Ferry has a few ideas why.As President of Trenchant Analytics and a deeply connected defense insider, Ferry pulls back the curtain on what’s really going ...

What if satellite imaging could go beyond RGB and actually see the molecular makeup of our planet? In this episode, the former NASA engineer turned co-founder and CEO breaks down how his startup, Matter Intelligence, is creat...

Luke Fischer is the Co-Founder and CEO of SkyFi, an industry-leading Earth Observation marketplace company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Before co-founding SkyFi, Luke was an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Shield Capital, foc...

A proven serial entrepreneur and early defense tech investor, Jackson Moses currently serves as the Founder and Managing Partner of Silent Ventures, an early stage venture firm that invests in exceptional founders building un...

Michael LaFramboise is the co-founder and CEO of Aurelius Systems, a defense technology startup building the next generation of autonomous counter-UAS. Their premier product, the Archimedes Laser Sentinel, combines high-power...

Simone Ledeen has served in various U.S. Government and business leadership positions, most recently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy. Her prior US Government work, including on multiple ove...

Follow the show and subscribe for more! Chapters / Topics: Intro Epirus Fundraising Announcement Dual Use vs. Military-Use Only R&D and Procurement How to get the Military to Buy Your Stuff Defense Investor Perspective on Cur...

Is China the new global superpower? April Herlevi, a senior research scientist at CNA and non-resident fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, joins us to break down China’s economic statecraft, military expansion, a...

Bryan Clark is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute. He is an expert in naval operations, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, military competitions, and wargam...

Dr. Casey Perley joins the show to talk about the Army Applications Lab, innovation in defense, and how startups can work with the Army.👉 Watch one of our favorite episodes: https://youtu.be/fA8x9eGvaFk?si=bpFeYTM3Gz1Z12m2(00...

Nic Adams joins the show to talk defense, Capitol Hill, drones, and preparing for future conflicts. Follow the show and leave a review! Follow Nic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-adams208/Washington Office: https...

What do you think about AI and space warfare? Leave a comment! (0:00) Intro (1:08) Discussing Drone Swarm Threats (2:45) Working for CIA & a Think Tank (Clayton’s Background) (8:20) Space & Future Defense Strategies (12:04) G...

Rob Thompson discusses aviation, drones, regulations, and his family legacy. Rob is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the subjects of aviation and unmanned aircraft systems for aircraft design, certification, regulat...

Gabe joins the show and talks space, satellites, defense tech, investing, and running companies. (0:00) Intro (0:55) How Umbra Started (3:52) Gabe Before Umbra (6:28) Having a "Real Job" Before Startups (8:05) Drones over Cal...

From WWII mine warfare to AI-powered drones - exploring next-gen military tech with defense industry insights. 👉 Watch one of our favorite episodes: https://youtu.be/y8UD8rRZRMU (0:00) Intro (1:13) CNA Origins (World War II) ...

Donald Stoker discusses military history, national strategies, and today’s global state. 0:00 Intro 1:11 About Don 3:44 The Korean War 11:01 North Korea and Iran Today 13:11 War in Ukraine 23:29 Don's Class at Nat'l Defense U...

Dhruva Rajendra discusses autonomy, defense innovation, mergers, and lessons from Ukraine. Timestamps: (0:00) Intro (0:35) This Week in Startups Podcast (2:40) Michael Saylor & MicroStrategy (5:36) Steve's Review of Wicked (1...

Mike Fiuk shares Darkhive’s vision, roadmap, and insights on selling and tech in defense. Chapters: (0:00) Intro Who is Mike Fiuk? About Darkhive & Obelisk Video Games Supply Chains Reacting to Trae Stephens Autonomous Teamin...

Alex Taylor shares insights on aerospace, the Thiel Fellowship, and purpose-driven American innovation. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (01:37 Why Alex Started Orb Aerospace (07:39) Reality of the Founder Life (09:07) Thiel Fellows (1...

Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, talks the new drone and logistics tech at Firestorm, his experiences in startups and defense tech, and more. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (1:40) Changing the Podcast Name (6:26) Fires...

Doug Livermore talks West Point, drones in warfare, deploying to Africa, Ukraine, and more. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (2:06) "College Life" at West Point (6:52)Training the Congalese Army (12:16) Training Former Rebels in Mali (...

Leave a comment and review, and follow for more! Topics: (0:00) Intro (1:36) Matt's Warfighting & Intelligence Background (3:30) The Future of Artillery (8:07) Why Matt Went Into Intel (9:49) Discovering The Drone Problem (12...