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Resilient autonomy starts with answering: Where am I? Guest: Jesse Hamel – Founder & CEO, VICTUS GPS is embedded in everything from autonomous vehicles and precision weapons to aviation, shipping, communications, and financial transactions—but its signal is fragile and increasingly easy to jam or spoof. Jesse Hamel joins Callye Keen to explain how VICTUS uses machine learning and existing onboard sensor data to create synthetic GPS for autonomous systems operating from low Earth orbit to the seabed. TopicsWhy GPS denial is now a military and commercial problemSynthetic GPS and software-defined alternative PNTUsing machine learning to extract more value from onboard sensorsExtending resilient autonomy across air, ground, maritime, and space systemsFounder–market fit, conviction, and the cost of building a defense startupWhy timing is the next major challenge beyond position and navigationTakeawaysAutonomy fails if the system cannot answer “Where am I?” Position is the foundation for navigation and higher-order decision-making.VICTUS uses a machine-learning state estimator to interpret motion and other onboard data rather than adding more hardware to the platform.The same core positioning problem exists across drones, aircraft, ground robots, surface vessels, subsurface vehicles, weapons, and satellites.GPS denial is not limited to combat. Jamming, spoofing, solar activity, and signal loss also affect commercial aviation and maritime operations.Founder–market fit matters in defense because operational experience can create an advantage that capital alone cannot replicate.Strong founders test both the market opportunity and their own willingness to bear the cost before committing fully.Position and navigation are only part of PNT. Precise timing also underpins communications, mesh networks, aviation tracks, and financial systems.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Why you can’t jam gravity [00:22] - Conviction, national security, AI, and robotics [02:54] - America’s advantage is creating new secrets [03:53] - AI and robotics give builders unprecedented leverage [06:03] - Why Jesse founded a startup instead of joining a prime [08:43] - Testing founder–market fit and asymmetric advantage [14:35] - Operational experience as a defense-startup moat [18:21] - Founders as the principal investors in their companies [22:24] - The fragility of GPS in contested environments [26:20] - Turning onboard motion data into synthetic GPS [28:22] - Autonomy built on fragile legacy infrastructure [30:55] - Expanding from small drones across every domain [39:00] - Position, navigation, and the difficult timing problem [42:35] - Smarter interpretation instead of more sensors [44:31] - Perception and orchestration as the real unlock Resources & LinksVICTUS TechnologiesJesse Hamel – Founder profileVICTUS on LinkedInThe Startup DefenseConnectGuest: Jesse Hamel / VICTUSHost: Callye Keen“You can’t jam gravity.” Subscribe to The Startup Defense for candid conversations with the founders, operators, and builders turning emerging technology into fieldable defense capabilities.

How intelligent, modular power enables defense and emergency-response missions at the edge Guest: Sascha Dainat – Chief Revenue Officer, BKPK Power Power is rarely the mission, but nearly every modern mission depends on it. Sascha Dainat joins Callye Keen to explain how BKPK is turning disconnected generators and batteries into an intelligent, modular system that teams can plan, monitor, scale, and adapt in real time. TopicsExpeditionary power as mission infrastructureModular power for vehicles, camps, emergency response, and fixed sitesSoftware, AI, and mission-level power orchestrationBattery safety, transport compliance, and UN 38.3 certificationPartnerships, cybersecurity, field validation, and production scaleTakeawaysBetter power infrastructure extends missions, reduces logistics burdens, and enables critical equipment at the edge.A modular platform can support a mobile team, scale into a forward camp, or provide backup power at a fixed site.Software-defined power gives operators a common picture of demand, capacity, priority loads, connected equipment, and system health.Compliance must shape the product from the beginning. BKPK designed around lithium transport limits, manageable pack weight, LFP chemistry, and certification.Power usually enables another system, making partnerships central to defense go-to-market.Power data can reveal equipment use and unauthorized devices, creating value for operational awareness and cybersecurity.Complex hardware should be designed for repeatable production before field demand reaches hundreds or thousands of units.Timestamped Highlights[00:01] - Expeditionary and software-defined power [02:43] - Why power is boring until it isn’t [03:30] - Fragmented power at a counter-UAS exercise [05:08] - Treating deployed power as a system [06:43] - Portability, output, modularity, and scale [08:45] - Engineering and compliance barriers [09:46] - Focus in defense and emergency response [10:25] - Designing a transportable 4 kWh pack [11:20] - UN 38.3 certification and LFP safety [12:22] - Partnerships as a go-to-market strategy [14:48] - Where AI fits into power systems [16:30] - Planning missions with Orchestrator [17:46] - Monitoring and analyzing power use [19:15] - Connected-device visibility and security [20:12] - Protecting physical and digital interfaces [23:04] - Designing for mass production [24:05] - Field validation with firefighters and defense partners Resources & LinksBKPK PowerBKPK deployed-power technologyBKPK on LinkedInThe Startup DefenseConnectGuest: Sascha DainatHost: Callye Keen“Power is boring until it isn’t.” Subscribe to The Startup Defense for candid conversations with the founders, operators, and builders turning emerging technology into fieldable defense capabilities.

Why good companies drift from their founding purpose and how leaders can build organizations that resist corruption Guest: Eric Ries - Author of Incorruptible, creator of The Lean Startup, and founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange Eric Ries returns to the fundamental problem behind company building: creating an organization that can remain worthy of its original mission after it becomes successful. He joins Callye Keen to explain financial gravity, mission mortality, governance risk, and the practical steps founders can take to protect their companies from short-term pressure, acquisition, and internal drift. TopicsThe evolution from The Lean Startup to IncorruptibleHow financial gravity changes organizational behaviorMission statements fail without management and business model alignmentProtecting founders and companies through governanceDual-use technology, acquisitions, and mission riskBuilding companies aligned with human flourishingTakeawaysFinancial gravity is the pressure to align with whoever controls money, status, or power.Repeated behavior eventually becomes culture, even when it contradicts the original mission.Founders must document the principles they will not sacrifice for financial gain.Mission integrity requires purpose, aligned incentives, culture, and structural protection.Founder control alone cannot prevent a board, investor, or acquirer from redirecting a company.The next generation can build durable companies and civic institutions designed around long-term value.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Eric Ries on restoring human agency [02:16] - From The Lean Startup to Incorruptible [07:22] - How financial gravity reshapes companies [10:10] - The force no one controls but everyone obeys [15:56] - How behavior becomes organizational culture [16:22] - Inoculating a company against mission drift [18:37] - Defining fiduciary commitments beyond profit [22:01] - Purpose, business model, culture, and structural integrity [24:45] - Dual-use technology and unintended consequences [29:48] - Acquisitions, founder control, and value destruction [31:15] - Building companies aligned with human flourishing Resources & LinksIncorruptible - Why good companies go bad and how great companies stay greatOfficial publisher pageLong-Term Stock ExchangeLean Startup Co.ConnectGuest: Eric Ries on LinkedInHost: Callye Keen on LinkedIn“The more successful an organization becomes, the more valuable it will be to somebody else to take it over.” Subscribe to The Startup Defense for conversations with the founders, investors, operators, and leaders building technology and institutions for national security.

How operator-led startups, rapid acquisition pathways, and relationship-driven execution are reshaping defense innovationGuest: Noam Oz - Co-Founder & Managing Partner, MIM Ventures; Former Director for Innovation Operations, NavalX Defense acquisition is changing, but new authorities only matter when they produce results for the warfighter. Noam Oz returns to The Startup Defense to discuss commercial-first acquisition, operator-led startups, mission engineering, CSOs, acquisition culture, AI assurance, and the relationships required to move technology from mission need to fielded capability. Topics and TakeawaysOperational experience cannot be replicated through coursework alone.A demand signal requires a validated need, funding, and a viable contracting pathway.Acquisition reform must be measured through changed behavior and fielded results.Startups build credibility by placing prototypes in users’ hands, collecting evidence, and iterating.Technical exchanges create value through visibility, partnerships, and customer access, even without an immediate contract.Relationships compound over time and often become decisive when the right opportunity appears.AI assurance must advance alongside AI adoption.Clear government priorities and acquisition pathways improve investor confidence.Timestamped Highlights[00:04] - Noam Oz returns to The Startup Defense [01:09] - Keeping the warfighter involved [05:13] - MEIA and clearer capability demand signals [07:50] - End-to-end capability delivery [09:11] - CSOs, OTAs, and production follow-ons [14:17] - Building credibility through prototypes and results [15:39] - SOF Week, Vulcan, and ecosystem access [17:14] - Why relationships and continued action create opportunity [19:48] - Technical exchanges as partner environments [20:44] - Relationships over transactions [21:54] - AI assurance, TEVV, safety, and security [24:02] - New capital models for defense hard tech Resources & LinksMIM Ventures - https://mim.ventures/Mission Engineering and Integration Activity - https://www.cto.mil/meia/Asymmetris - https://asymmetris.com/Optica Labs - https://opticalabs.ai/ConnectGuest: Noam Oz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamozHost: Callye Keen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/“Don’t go after it for the transaction. Go after it for the relationship.” Subscribe to The Startup Defense and share this episode with a founder, operator, investor, or acquisition professional working to move commercial technology into operational use. For support developing, integrating, manufacturing, and scaling defense hardware, visit Kform at https://www.kform.com/.

How robotic manufacturing, AI, and flexible factories could reshape American industrial power Guest: Edward Mehr - Machina Labs Edward Mehr joins The Startup Defense to discuss why America does not have a design problem, it has a factory problem. Callye and Edward explore software-defined manufacturing, robotic sheet forming, defense readiness, and why the future of industrial advantage may come from factories that can rapidly switch from cars to missiles to aircraft panels. TopicsSoftware-defined manufacturing and the future of flexible factoriesWhy manufacturing is the gate that turns ideas into real capabilityRobotic forming, trimming, QC, heat treatment, forging, welding, and assemblyReindustrialization, defense readiness, and supply chain deterrenceWhy 3D printing opened the imagination but is only one tool in the manufacturing stackFounder lessons for building capital-intensive industrial startupsTakeawaysAmerica’s advantage depends less on ideas alone and more on the ability to convert ideas into physical products quickly, repeatedly, and affordably.Flexible manufacturing creates strategic optionality. A factory that can shift from commercial parts to defense components gives the country more responsive industrial capacity.Defense agility is increasingly tied to manufacturing agility. The ability to respond to new battlefield systems quickly can become a decisive advantage.The future factory will not be just additive manufacturing. It will combine robotics, machining, forming, 3D printing, welding, QC, software, and AI into a coordinated production system.Industrial founders need more than venture capital. They should understand customer-funded development, government support, debt financing, and how to finance capital equipment intelligently.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Why reindustrialization and advanced manufacturing matter now [00:37] - Edward Mehr on being a builder and why robotics plus AI are entering the physical world [03:22] - The Machina Labs vision: a factory that can rapidly turn designs into final products [04:13] - Sheet forming without product-specific tooling [05:32] - Expanding from forming into trimming, QC, heat treatment, forging, welding, and assembly [06:49] - “America doesn’t have a design problem. We have a factory problem.” [08:30] - Manufacturing as the gate that focuses and creates innovation [12:58] - Flexible manufacturing as a defense readiness advantage [14:15] - Why the factory itself may become a strategic weapon [16:25] - What 3D printing promised, what it missed, and what the next manufacturing toolchain looks like [19:05] - Why additive manufacturing is one tool, not the whole factory [20:05] - Combining roboforming, machining, 3D printing, and robotic welding into a software-defined factory [21:24] - Advice for founders building in defense, manufacturing, and other capital-intensive markets Resources & LinksMachina Labs - https://machinalabs.ai/Kform - https://www.kform.comConnectEdward Mehr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-mehr/Callye Keen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/ “The factory is the weapon.”

How founders can use grants, contracts, teaming, and acquisition pathways to fund hard tech without giving up equity too early Guest: Mollie Jahner - Mission Cultivate, formerly Spring and Forge Non-dilutive funding can be a major advantage for defense startups, but winning it requires more than filling out grant applications. Mollie Jahner about how founders should think about grants, government contracts, teaming, SBIRs, state funding, acquisition pathways, and why the best proposals are written for the reviewer, not the founder. TopicsWhy non-dilutive capital is powerful but still difficult to winHow defense startups should treat grants like part of the product roadmapWhy teaming, past performance, and partner strategy matterHow private capital is learning to follow government demand signalsWhy TRL can be misleading in defense innovationHow Mission Cultivate is expanding access to funding intelligence and grant supportTakeawaysNon-dilutive funding is not “easy money.” Founders need a targeted strategy, agency understanding, and clear reviewer-focused writing.Grant and contract pursuit should be routine. Mollie recommends founders apply to two or three aligned opportunities every quarter.Teaming is an underrated growth mechanism. Startups can strengthen larger proposals by partnering with organizations that already have past performance.Government interest can strengthen investor conversations. A credible demand signal from a program office, command, or acquisition stakeholder can help unlock private capital.TRL is often too blunt for defense tech. Commercially mature technology may still be immature in a new mission context.Founder-problem fit matters. Founders who have personally experienced the mission problem often understand the market, user, and operational gap more deeply.AI and software can democratize access to funding opportunities, helping smaller teams compete with organizations that have dedicated capture resources.Highlights[00:33] - Mollie’s current focus: helping founders raise non-dilutive capital [01:46] - Lessons from closing more than $800 million in grants and government contracts [02:00] - Why founders need to understand the agency, reviewer, and funding mechanism [04:25] - Treating grants like a product roadmap, not a one-time event [05:00] - Teaming as a practical way for startups to access larger funding opportunities [07:06] - Why program manager conversations can sharpen proposals [09:07] - How VCs are getting smarter about government funding signals [10:50] - SBIRs as an entry point, not always a complete acquisition pathway [13:24] - What makes a founder ready to pursue non-dilutive funding [14:48] - Why TRL can fail to explain real defense innovation maturity [16:13] - Innovation as a human terrain and orchestration problem [17:33] - Drone fatigue and the challenge of differentiation in crowded markets [19:01] - Spring and Forge’s acquisition by Mission Cultivate [21:44] - Why government funding is almost a second language for new founders [22:30] - SBIR mills, repeat winners, and the challenge of access for new entrants ConnectGuest: Mollie Jahner on LinkedInEmail: Mollie at Mission Cultivate “Grant funding should be part of your product roadmap.” Subscribe to The Startup Defense for more conversations with founders, investors, builders, and defense leaders working to move technology from idea to fielded capability.

Why accelerating decision-making—not just building models—is the real frontier of defense AI Guest: Mack Ohlinger – CEO, Dunedain Most AI conversations in defense focus on models, data, or compute. This one does not. Mack Ohlinger, CEO of Dunedain, is building agent-based systems designed to compress military planning and decision-making timelines from days to seconds. This episode breaks down what actually matters: architecture, user interaction, and the hard reality of getting AI from demo to production.  TopicsBuilding agent-based AI systems for military planning workflows (MDMP/MCPP)Why most AI companies fail between demo and productionThe role of architecture, testing, and user interaction in mission-grade AITakeawaysThe core constraint in defense is decision speed, not access to data or models.AI systems that succeed mirror existing cognitive workflows and compress them, rather than replacing them outright.The gap between demo and production is driven by integration, edge cases, and real user behavior—not model performance.High-quality data is necessary but insufficient; systems must continuously learn from users in real environments.Modular, MOSA-aligned architectures introduce integration complexity that must be actively managed.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] – Intro and mission: accelerating decision-making in defense [02:30] – From operator experience to startup: identifying the planning bottleneck [07:00] – Why most AI demos fail to survive contact with real users [10:30] – The challenge of testing stochastic, multi-agent systems [18:00] – How to frame AI capability for defense customers (KPPs, outcomes, trust) [26:00] – Decision-making under changing requirements and dynamic missions [28:30] – The future: AI-enabled planning from the CoCom level to the individual operator Resources & LinksMack Ohlinger — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mack2Dunedain — https://dunedainsystems.com/“The hardest part is not building the system. It’s getting from 99% to 100%—from demo to production.”

How operator trust, patient capital, and integrated platforms turn defense technology into fielded capability Guest: Justin MacLaurin - Founder & CEO, Digital Force Technologies Justin MacLaurin has built, sold, bought back, and scaled a defense technology company focused on real operator needs. In this episode, Justin and Callye discuss sensor fusion, edge compute, counter-UAS, SOCOM acquisition speed, and why defense startups must build complete capabilities, not isolated widgets. TopicsThe convergence of technology and military operationsDFT’s origin story with Naval Special WarfareSensor fusion, edge processing, and battlefield awarenessSelling to BBN, moving under Raytheon, and buying the company backPatient capital versus traditional VC expectations in defense hardwarePartnership, ruggedization, cyber, and integration for startupsCounter-UAS, drone scale, and manufacturabilityBuilding operator trust before scaling to larger servicesTakeawaysDefense technology only matters when it works in operational context.Startups win by staying close to the mission and moving faster than traditional acquisition cycles.The government buys capabilities, not components, so integration and deployability matter.Patient capital can fit defense hardware better than constant fundraising cycles.Partnerships help startups avoid wasting runway on non-core work.Operator trust is the first contract. Without it, formal acquisition does not matter.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Introducing Justin MacLaurin and DFT [00:44] - Technology and military operations as the core passion [01:20] - Why sensor fusion is reaching an inflection point [04:00] - From video surveillance to edge compute and battlefield data [06:42] - Translating operator needs at Naval Special Warfare [08:00] - The unmet need for rapid tactical technology development [09:00] - Building DFT around mission relevance [10:12] - Selling to BBN and crossing the Valley of Death internally [11:20] - Raytheon integration and the shift from startup speed [12:35] - Buying DFT back and rebooting the company [16:28] - Choosing scale over a lifestyle business [17:30] - Partnering with DC Capital Partners [18:52] - Moving from SOCOM to larger service programs [19:39] - Patient capital and defense market realities [23:29] - Startup culture as a mentality, not a size [24:00] - Helping startups wrap technology for military use [25:30] - Drone manufacturing, scale, and solving the right problem [26:30] - The Seraphim platform and rapid sensor integration [28:27] - Avoiding overinvestment in non-core technology [31:47] - Marketing, OPSEC, and the modern defense tech noise floor [33:30] - Building a trust contract with operators [34:27] - Closing thoughts on fielded capability Connect Justin MacLaurin | LinkedIn Callye Keen | LinkedIn Advanced Sensing Technology | Digital Force Technologies

Why defense innovation still stalls, how to fix the operating model, and what it takes to get commercial technology into warfighters’ hands at mission speed Guest: Meagan Metzger – Founder + Chief Executive Officer, Dcode What actually keeps great commercial technology from reaching the Department of Defense is rarely the technology itself. In this episode, Meagan Metzger joins Callye Keen to break down the real blockers: incentive misalignment, slow operating models, rigid budgeting, and the persistent gap between prototyping and scale. Together they dig into how defense teams can move from admiring the problem to building an acquisition system that rewards outcomes, fast feedback, and rapid fielding. TopicsWhy the Department needs a new operating model to move at the speed of relevanceHow incentive structures shape acquisition behavior and startup outcomesWhy the “valley of death” is a solvable transition problem, not an unavoidable law of natureHow rapid capability can go from need to fielded feedback in under 90 daysWhy outcome-based requirements and budgeting create better paths for commercial technology adoptionTakeawaysSpeed in defense innovation requires changing the operating model, not just asking teams to work harder inside the same system.Startups need fast clarity, not long maybes. A fast no is often more valuable than prolonged engagement without a buying path.Portfolio and mission-outcome thinking can align budgets, acquisition decisions, and fielding efforts around real capability instead of fragmented technology buys.Timestamped Highlights[00:05 - 01:51] Why this moment feels different for defense innovation and commercial tech adoption [03:52 - 06:31] The Department needs a new operating model, not just more urgency [08:43 - 10:43] Incentives, startup reality, and why a fast no beats a long maybe [12:03 - 14:30] Reframing the valley of death and building a rapid acquisition integration cell [15:10 - 19:29] Capability portfolios, mission outcomes, and what portfolio leaders should actually measure [22:12 - 25:14] Why outcome-based requirements and budgeting matter for commercial technology adoption [27:51 - 30:16] From zero to warfighter feedback in under 90 days and why that loop matters [30:42 - 32:41] Where to learn more about DCODE and why this work is possible now Resources & LinksDCODE official websiteDcode leadership and company background“Act Like a CEO” by Meagan Metzger on portfolio leadership and operating modelsKform and The Startup DefenseConnectGuest: Meagan Metzger on LinkedInHost: Callye Keen on LinkedIn

How government teams can buy, trust, and operationalize commercial data faster for mission-critical decisions Guest: Jen Obernier | CEO, Grist Mill Exchange What does it take to get the exact commercial data a mission team needs before the decision window closes? In this episode, Jen Obernier joins Callye Keen to explain why speed in defense data is not just a technology problem. It is an acquisition, trust, and integration problem, and the teams that solve it will have a major advantage in decision-making, AI adoption, and mission execution. TopicsWhy coherent data matters more than raw collection volumeHow Grist Mill Exchange helps governments discover, license, and deliver commercial data fasterWhy successful AI efforts start with the decision and required data, not just the modelHow resilient data pipelines reduce risk when providers, business models, or mission needs changeWhy the next defense advantage may belong to teams that can integrate and move data where decisions happenTakeawaysSpeed comes from coherence: the right data, in the right place, at the right momentMany mission data bottlenecks are business model and procurement problems before they are technical problemsAI programs are far more effective when teams identify the decision first, then align the data strategy to support itTrusted, flexible access to commercial data is becoming part of the defense data supply chainThe future power brokers inside government may be the people who can integrate, route, and operationalize data across systemsTimestamped Highlights[00:04 - 01:22] Jen explains her core passion: enabling better mission decisions with the specific data needed, exactly when and where it is needed [03:10 - 05:25] From neuroscientist to Pentagon executive to CEO, Jen shares the career path that led her to Grist Mill Exchange [05:25 - 07:47] Why 9 to 18 month acquisition timelines make mission-relevant data useless by the time it arrives [07:51 - 10:58] Callye connects mission data assurance to supply chain resilience and the risks of depending on fragile commercial inputs [10:58 - 13:20] Jen breaks down why commercial data access is as much a business model problem as a technology problem [14:29 - 16:16] Subscription access, one-time historical purchases, and metered APIs as flexible ways to buy only the data needed [17:00 - 18:55] Real-world use cases from policy analysis to supply chain intelligence and mission operations [20:39 - 22:23] Why AI pilots succeed when they are built around a real decision and the data required to support it [25:16 - 26:58] Jen’s prediction for the next three to five years: data integrators and infrastructure builders become the new power brokers Resources & LinksGrist Mill Exchange: Official website “Speed comes from coherence.” Follow The Startup Defense for more conversations at the intersection of commercial technology and defense innovation. If this episode was useful, share it with a founder, operator, or acquisition leader working on mission data, AI, or defense modernization.

From warfighter need to fielded effect: building a partner-led “ordnance nexus” that collapses the munition lifecycle (materials → manufacturing → security → delivery) into a faster, more survivable path to the fight. Guest: Jon Williams – President & CEO, WAR Inc. This episode is a candid, operator-informed look at why defense innovation stalls between prototype and deployment, and what it takes to close the gap. Jon breaks down WAR Inc.’s “portfolio + partners” approach, spanning munitions, counter-UAS, encrypted comms, and manufacturing strategy, with a clear thesis: speed comes from integrated capability, not isolated widgets. (War.inc) TopicsWAR Inc.’s origin story: returning to defense to close the “delay gap” for the warfighterProject ONI and the “Ordnance Nexus” concept: munitions + weapon systems + secure data/IP + manufacturingBase materials and process advantage (including cryogenic processing) as a force-multiplier across platforms and toolingWhy geographic manufacturing strategy (US + Europe proximity) is a product feature, not an ops detailIndustrial-park logic for defense: proximity, talent flywheels, and orchestration over bureaucracyDesigning for real near-term users (Ukraine/Poland/Baltics/INDOPACOM) and iterating fast enough to survive adoptionTakeawaysWarfighter-first means time-to-field, not just performance. If you cannot get it delivered, secured, and sustained, it is not capability.Manufacturing is strategy. Where and how you build can determine adoption, scale, and even whether the program is feasible.Integration beats novelty. The “portfolio + partners” model can outpace single-tech plays by collapsing logistics, handoffs, and approvals.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Warfighter-first: “get them the tech they need and deserve” [02:19] - Why Jon founded WAR Inc.: from Marine Corps to defense, to back again [05:38] - Project ONI and the “Ordnance Nexus” (munitions + systems + security + manufacturing) [07:34] - Going all the way back to base materials to move faster end-to-end [09:08] - Cryogenic processing as an “infinite use” advantage (product + tooling + fleet sustainment) [13:14] - The industrial-park model: proximity and orchestration as the real unlock [17:50] - Build for near-term users first; the US warfighter may get version five [19:51] - Why startups fail at scale: prototype is easy, production reality is not [21:22] - The overlooked constraint: raw material availability and supply chain physics Resources & LinksWAR Inc. — https://war.inc/ConnectJon Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamsofficial/Callye Keen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/“If your product doesn’t ship with a Ukrainian instruction manual, you’re doing something wrong.” Support the show: Subscribe, share with a builder in defense, and send one person this episode who needs a clearer view of how to go from prototype to production at speed.

Stopping threats before shots are fired: how ZeroEyes pairs computer vision with a 24/7 human verification layer to deliver actionable intelligence to responders in seconds. Guest: Sam Alaimo – Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, ZeroEyes ZeroEyes was founded to tackle a real, urgent problem with a pragmatic solution: detect a brandished firearm through existing cameras, verify it fast, and dispatch real-time alerts. In this episode, Sam breaks down how the tech + operations model works, why dual-use (K-12, commercial, and DoD) made the product stronger, and what it takes to build a mission-first culture that scales. TopicsWhy ZeroEyes was founded after Parkland—and why cameras had been “forensic only” before (ZeroEyes)The ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC): human verification as the trust and assurance layer (ZeroEyes)Dual-use execution: how DoD work expanded capabilities (mobile cameras, new detection modalities)Fundraising lessons: why “team dynamics” can be the deciding factor in venture-scale capitalPartnerships and integration strategy (e.g., Picogrid) (PR Newswire)TakeawaysHigh-stakes AI needs an assurance model. Human verification isn’t a bolt-on—it’s core to operational trust and speed. Dual-use can be a product advantage. Diverse environments drive better data, stronger models, and broader applicability. Investors often underwrite the team, not just the tech. Cohesion, humility, and mission alignment can be a decisive differentiator.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - The mission: doing something practical about mass shootings [01:35] - The founding story: Parkland, cameras, and “left of bang” [04:44] - The hard truth: selling into schools vs. DoD (and staying mission-aligned) [07:28] - Building a market that didn’t exist (and finding budget for it) [07:54] - Inside the ZOC: human verification, dispatch, and actionable intel [12:24] - Hiring as strategy: creating a mission-driven transition path for veterans [16:08] - Raising venture-scale capital: what investors actually respond to [22:15] - What’s next: expanding beyond firearms into new analytics (including knives) [23:10] - Partnerships as force-multipliers (and why not to “reinvent the wheel”) Resources & LinksZeroEyes (company) (ZeroEyes)ConnectGuest: Sam AlaimoHost: Callye Keen If this episode sparked ideas, share The Startup Defense with one operator or founder in your network—and if you’re building or scaling a defense tech product, reach out to Kform for support.

Startups can’t afford to be wrong on an 18-month cycle—and neither can the services or the acquisition system that supports them. Callye and Noah deconstruct the so-called “valley of death,” separating structural reality from self-inflicted pain and inexperience. They dig into how narrative, incentives, and tighter demo cycles can compress risk and get real capability into the hands of operators faster. TopicsWhy the “valley of death” is often more mirage than destiny—and where it’s brutally realHow information, narrative, and media shape behavior in defense and critical industriesKform’s evolution from a third-generation machine shop to a commercialization partner for defense startupsCompetition-based drone events and what they reveal about the future of acquisitionUsing rapid demos and shared customers to shrink timelines from years to weeksTakeawaysThe valley of death isn’t an inescapable trap; it’s a series of predictable transitions that punish inexperience, poor capital efficiency, and lack of customer focus.In defense, you may only get one meaningful shot every 12–18 months, so choices around SBIRs, sponsors, and end users are not “free”—they are existential.Tight feedback loops—design, build, demo, adjust—run on weeks instead of years can derisk programs, align incentives, and help both startups and the government “be slightly wrong and get less wrong” much faster.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Why startups (and DoD) can’t afford 18-month mistakes [02:34] - Rethinking the “valley of death” and reclaiming agency [05:24] - A contrarian view: the valley as mirage and self-inflicted pain [09:02] - “SBIR is not free money” and the cost of choosing the wrong sponsor [11:54] - Defense tech jobs, new attention, and why this moment matters [17:33] - Kform’s roots: from Navy machinist and Circle K to Kform [23:55] - Building Kform’s playbook: the “team behind your team” [26:29] - Steam Studios and competition-based drones as a new acquisition pattern [31:20] - Tight demo loops: slightly wrong every two weeks vs. catastrophically wrong in 18 months [36:57] - Policy shifts, acquisition reform, and closing reflections Resources & LinksKform — https://kform.comCrossing the Valley (podcast) — https://www.frontdoordefense.com/podcastFront Door Defense Jobs — https://www.frontdoordefense.comSteam Studios — https://www.steamstudio.ioU.S. National Drone Association — https://www.usnda.org“We can’t afford to be wrong in 18 months. We can afford to be slightly wrong—and getting less wrong—every two weeks.” To partner with Kform, explore collaboration, or bring a product from prototype to field faster, visit kform.com and reach out to the team. If this episode resonates, share it with a founder, operator, or investor who cares about actually fielding capability—not just talking about it.

Will Hurd – Chief Strategy Officer, Chaos Industries - former CIA officer, Member of Congress, and cybersecurity founder Chaos Industries is quietly shipping modern radar and autonomy tools into some of the hardest environments on earth—from Ukraine to the Middle East—while most of the market is still talking. Will Hurd joins Callye to break down why giving warfighters time is the real advantage, why “volume beats exquisiteness,” and how Chaos went heads-down to build radar that sees farther, sets up faster, and costs a fraction of legacy systems. TopicsWhy autonomy and sensing at the edge are reshaping domain awareness and air superiorityHow Chaos Industries approached building a new class of expeditionary radar (Vanquish) instead of iterating on 1970s conceptsThe deliberate choice to stay quiet, build first, and market later—and why over-promising kills credibility in defenseOperating in Ukraine and other high-end environments as a proving ground for hardware, networking, and EW resilienceWhy partnerships (e.g., Forterra) and culture-matched sprint cycles are critical for turning point tech into real capabilityTakeawaysTime is the real currency on the battlefield. Moving from seconds of warning to minutes fundamentally changes what warfighters can do with the systems they already have.Defense hype without working hardware is a dead end. In a world where radars designed in the 1970s are still in service, the bar is not slogans—it’s reliable, repeatable performance in the field.Partnerships and speed win. Companies that can integrate, iterate on two-week cycles, and plug into existing platforms and contracts will outpace those trying to boil the ocean alone.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Why Will joined Chaos and the autonomy problem [02:12] - Systems vs point solutions on the battlefield [03:19] - Chaos’ stealth phase and real-world deployments [05:17] - Updating 1970s radar for modern threats [07:44] - Build first, talk later: Chaos’ GTM philosophy [12:22] - Speed, OODA loops, and 10x building over marketing [13:36] - Hype vs reality when your widget is tested [15:05] - Partnering with Forterra on autonomous ground vehicles [19:30] - Outcome over widgets and culture-fit partnerships [20:37] - Looking ahead to maritime autonomy and closing remarks Resources & LinksChaos Industries — https://www.chaosinc.comForterra — https://www.forterra.com/ConnectWill Hurd — https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbhurd/Callye Keen — https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/“In today’s battlefield, the winner isn’t the biggest—it’s the fastest. If you can’t upgrade at the edge and iterate in weeks instead of years, you’re already behind.” To explore how Kform helps defense innovators move from idea to fielded capability, visit kform.com. If this episode was useful, share it with a builder, operator, or investor who needs to hear a no-nonsense view of defense autonomy and sensing.

Bringing modern compute, edge AI, and hard-tech investing into orbit Guest: Edward Ge – Founder & CEO, Aether Most spacecraft still fly computers comparable to late-1990s desktops while our phones race ahead with Moore’s Law. In this episode, Edward Ge explains how Aethero is building radiation-tolerant, long-life computing for space and enabling distributed AI at the edge in orbit. We also dig into why hard tech rarely “goes to zero,” and how space + defense will shape the next generation of infrastructure and talent. TopicsWhy space missions still run on decades-old processors and what must changeBuilding reliable, radiation-tolerant compute and distributed systems for multi-year space missionsHard-tech fundraising, human capital, and defense as the launch customer for orbital computeTakeawaysModern compute in space is constrained by reliability and radiation, not just performance and power.Hard-tech investments compound via infrastructure and talent, even when individual startups fail.Real orbital data centers will likely emerge from defense-driven, distributed edge compute in space.Timestamped Highlights[00:00] - Ed’s background, Athero intro, why space, autonomy, and AI matter now [00:38] - Astrobiology, Mars biosignatures, and why life may exist in our backyard [02:16] - Moore’s Law on Earth vs. space; Perseverance’s 1990s-class flight computer [04:04] - Reliability over 5–15 years and why “it cannot break” dominates design [06:18] - Raising capital for space; why top funds are pivoting into hard tech [08:36] - Hard tech, human capital, and the halo effect of companies like SpaceX [15:03] - New satellites, defense missions, and Athero’s distributed computing in orbit [17:40] - “Only telecom and defense” as the core space business models today [20:44] - Dropout advice, conviction, and being direct with investors and partners Resources & LinksAethero — https://www.aethero.comKform — https://kform.comConnectGuest: Edward Ge — https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardge9/Host: Callye Keen — https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/“In space, your computer can’t just reboot. It has to not break for 5, 10, 15 years.” Support The Startup Defense by sharing this episode with a founder, engineer, or investor in space, autonomy, or defense tech—and visit kform.com to learn how we help hard-tech teams go from prototype to production