Episodes

Venture capitalist and Anomaly Fund founder Patrick Blumenthal joins the pod to talk frontier tech, reindustrialization, and the future of defense. (0:00) - Intro (0:52) - Defense Spending and Threats from China (2:18) - Patrick Blumenthal and the Anomaly Fund (4:21) - Defense-Focused Venture Investing (10:24) - Pulsar L and Counter-Drone Innovation (13:01) - Fiber-Optic Drone Tactics on the Frontline (17:22) - Ukraine’s Military-Driven Startup Culture (20:02) - FPV Dr...

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 defense contracts. From underused authorities like 10 USC 4023 to what really happens behind the scenes with sole source justifications, Travis gives founders the roadmap most never get. We also talk autonomous vehicles, program of record dynamics, price vs. performanc...

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) and Mike “Rod” Rodriguez (Marine Raider) join us for a raw, unfiltered conversation about battle, culture, and the evolution of combat. We talk about their first experiences getting shot at, how FPV drones are the new IEDs, what’s wrong with defense procurement, and wh...

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 on in GovCon. We talk pivot traps, why most military customers aren’t actually looking for innovation, and why founders need to get real about the slow, messy path to contracts. Also in this episode: drone warfare, EW hype cycles, defense memes, investor delusions, and...

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 creating a new class of earth observation sensors that go beyond RGB to capture the molecular makeup of the planet. We talk about hyperspectral imaging, how Matter’s satellites work, commercial vs. government go-to-market strategy, and why most of today’s satellite data is ...

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, focusing on investing in Space, Autonomy, AI, and Cyber. Prior to joining Shield Capital, he led Government Operations at Joby Aviation, and prior to Joby was Head of Flight Operations at Uber. Luke is also a highly decorated US Army Special Operations Aviation veteran with exp...

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 unrivaled aerospace, defense, and national security startups. He also founded and manages Silent Capital, a private syndicate that provides its members exclusive access to leading multi-stage defense and deep tech deals. Additionally, Jackson serves as a Senior Advisor to the ...

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-powered directed energy with edge-deployed advanced control for unparalleled point-defense capabilities.TOPICS (0:00) Intro(1:06) Our First Laser Guest(2:29) BlueHalo’s Locust(4:29) US Navy Laser Weapons(5:51) Steve’s Sub Experiences(8:14) What’s Different About Defense(11:25) A...

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 overseas deployments, influenced key counterterrorism activities, intelligence collection and analysis, as well as military information support operations involving cyber and disinformation, irregular warfare, direct action, sensitive special operations and personnel recovery/h...

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 Current Trends Tips for Fundraising in Defense Tech Incubation & Cap Tables Humanoid Robots Presentation and Collaboration Audience Questions--Naweed Tahmas served as the Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of the White ...

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, and defense tech strategy. We discuss China’s growing arms exports, the role of drones in modern warfare, Taiwan’s response to military threats, and how China’s global reach extends from Africa to AI development. China’s military exports & influence in Africa The role ...

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 wargaming. TOPICS (0:00) Intro (1:00) Bryan's Background & Hudson Institute (4:21) Saronic & USVs Breakdown (15:05) Impacts of Drones in Ukraine War (18:21) Carrier Strike Group in Age of USVs (24:00) American Drone Production Capacity (27:01) Unitree...

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(00:00) Intro (01:02) Meet Dr. Casey Pearly & Army Applications Lab (02:13) How the Army Works with Startups & Non-Traditional Companies (03:36) The Army’s Definition of Non-Traditional Companies (06:00) How the Army Identifies Problems & Finds Solutions (07:41) ...

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://www.yourwashingtonoffice.com/Nic Adams is a Partner at Washington Office, a strategy firm for frontier tech companies. Nic most recently served as Professional Staff Member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. His issue portfolio included defense, inte...

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) Going to Mars Debate (15:43) Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) (18:28) Space: The Future Battlefield? (23:00) Growing Commercial Space Industry & Defense Applications (30:25) Air Power & Drones in Russia-Ukraine (38:00) Building Small Drones ...

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, regulation, policy and innovative flight training. He is the founder of the CUAS Coalition, an education and advocacy organization focused on the regulation and development of C-UAS technology. Follow Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robthompsonpilot/ CUAS Coalition: https://www...

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 California (9:19) Investing in Firehawk Aerospace (13:24) Acquisitions in Defense (20:08) Investing and Getting Funded (23:41) Having No Money in Tech = Advantage? (27:16) Outlook on Aeon (28:33) Outdated Legacy Prime Contract Models (32:19) ...

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) (5:08) IEDs in Iraq (12:58) Mines in the Pacific (15:46) Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) (24:21) Drones (29:03) Why and how to use USVs? (42:40) Drone countermeasures (45:41) CNA Funding and Info Flow (52:35) Managing a Team vs Independent Contributor (56:19) AI & LLMs (59:2...

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 Uni 27:33 The American Revolution 32:28 Wars of Expansion 34:35 First Gulf War & Military Buildup 40:16 Karl Von Clausewitz 47:28 Why America Loses Wars 54:50 The Impact of Drones on War 1:06:00 Academia 1:09:28 American History Rh...

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 (10:21) Company Updates (13:33) Fuses (17:42) BlueHalo-AeroVironment Merger (25:55) Elon's F-35 Debate (36:49) The Future is Autonomy (40:58) Podcast Rebrand (44:50) America's Missing Pieces in Defense (50:00) Not Learning From Ukra...

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 Teaming & Analysis DIU Blue List Advice for Selling in Defense Ukraine Lessons & Scale to Win Wars How to Get Info About Ukraine The SECDEF Nominee Darkhive's 2025 Plans Keeping Products Updated Demos and Conferences Investors in Darkhive T-Levels in Founders (Study) Outro -- Mike...

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 (14:18) Exploitative vs Redemptive Entrepreneurship (17:20) Thiel Fellow as a Tribe (20:03) Trials of Success and Failure (22:45) Alex's Religious Journey (26:04) Orb's Mission and Culture (29:56) How Alex & Steve Met (31:32) Being "Normal" vs. "Different" (34:25) Our New Tech...

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) Firestorm Products (9:20) Additive Manufacturing & The XCell (14:34) Original Vision vs. Customer Requests (18:17) Learning Appropriations and the End User (20:44) Act Like You Belong (22:34) Dan’s Previous Ventures (28:20) Personal Investments & ...

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 (15:33) Africa: What's Going On? (19:41) Rare Earth Minerals In Africa (21:27) Africa's Vicious Cycle of Turmoil (24:04) Steve's Private Military Plan (27:20) The Rapid Development of Drones (30:09) Drones as Munitions (31:50) Adventures in Russi...