The Drone Ultimatum

Zane Mountcastle is the co-founder and CEO of Picogrid, a defense technology company building the software and hardware infrastructure layer that connects drones, sensors, autonomous systems, and command platforms into unified operational networks.

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(00:00) Intro

(01:18) What Picogrid actually does

(03:34) The integration problem across defense systems

(07:02) Building infrastructure instead of one-off integrations

(10:41) Deploying software inside the DoD

(12:05) Picogrid’s early contracts and growth

(15:07) Why acquisition incentives create friction

(18:45) The engineering talent problem

(22:31) The changing defense industrial base

(27:05) Drone warfare and air defense economics

(31:10) Scaling a defense startup

(35:02) Hardware and manufacturing realities

(39:04) The future of autonomous warfare

(42:58) Marketing and communication in defense tech

(46:32) AI hype vs reality in defense

(50:14) Venture capital and defense startups

Ben Cipperley is the Chief Strategy Officer of HavocAI and a former Navy EOD officer who spent more than two decades in the Navy, including work on robotics, autonomy, and the Navy’s strategic modernization efforts.

(00:00) Intro

(01:21) Ben’s Navy background

(05:05) Robotic naval systems

(12:15) Replicator initiative

(13:25) Containerized warfare

(16:46) Starlink and communications

(25:21) Ukraine vs Russian Navy

(27:55) China and Pacific deterrence

(40:47) Autonomous weapons policy

(46:34) Building a robotic Navy

(56:10) Autonomous minesweeping

(01:00:15) Counter-UAS at sea

Weston Moyer and Jonathan Rue of MVP Ventures join The Drone Ultimatum to discuss defense tech investing, AI, robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and what it takes for startups to scale in national security.

00:00:00 — Intro

00:02:13 — Anthropic and Pentagon AI concerns
00:07:16 — Saronic and defense manufacturing scale
00:08:46 — Guam and Pacific logistics
00:12:25 — Shahed drones and counter-UAS economics
00:14:04 — How defense sales actually work
00:29:38 — Anduril, Lattice, and defense software
00:31:10 — Rebuilding American manufacturing
00:33:12 — Freeform and advanced manufacturing
00:41:28 — Why overcapitalized startups fail
00:43:43 — Ukraine lessons and preparing for China
00:52:09 — AI warfare and Taiwan scenarios
00:53:19 — Wartime industrial mobilization
00:54:21 — Apple, China, and manufacturing risk
01:04:33 — SpaceX and industrial scale

They break down why capital can be a weapon in defense tech, how startups should think about government sales, why congressional and departmental strategy both matter, and what separates serious defense companies from companies chasing momentum.

The conversation also covers Saronic, Skyways, Valinor, Anduril, Freeform, Cambium, SpaceX, China, Taiwan, industrial mobilization, and the future of American manufacturing.This is a wide-ranging discussion on venture capital, defense production, government go-to-market, and the companies trying to rebuild the industrial base.

Nick LaRovere is the co-founder and CEO of Pryzm, a startup building an AI-powered operating system for defense business development and procurement.

00:00 - Intro

01:19 - AI coding, “vibe coding,” and hiring engineers

04:27 - What Pryzm does and the future of defense procurement

10:35 - AI, CRMs, and the changing defense sales process

18:00 - Raising from Andreessen Horowitz and building Pryzm

24:36 - Scaling manufacturing in defense tech

27:12 - “Every company becomes a defense company”

32:28 - Startup culture, engineers, and product building

35:01 - “Startups are war”

40:13 - Palantir culture, Alex Karp, and defense tech talent

48:11 - How defense procurement is changing

59:49 - Anthropic, AI companies, and defense partnerships

01:02:18 - Closing thoughts

In this episode, Nick and Steve talk about why selling into government is still so relationship-driven, how defense companies can use better data to find the right opportunities, and why the traditional CRM stack falls short for companies selling to the Department of Defense.

They also get into AI-assisted coding, the challenge of evaluating engineers in the age of “vibe coding,” how startups should think about product management, and why defense tech may still be underinvested despite all the recent hype.

The conversation covers Pryzm’s work with both defense companies and government customers, the future of acquisition reform, and how the changing battlefield is forcing the procurement system to move faster.

David Michelson, former Army Ranger, DIU autonomy leader, and current Drones Thesis Leader at Re:Build Manufacturing, discusses what’s actually working and not working in drones and autonomy today.

Cheap drones are reshaping warfare in real time.

In this episode, Soren Monroe-Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Neros Technologies, breaks down what it actually takes to build low-cost, scalable FPV drone systems for modern combat.

Nathan Mintz, founder and CEO of CX2 and former founding CEO of Epirus, joins the show to break down how electronic warfare is reshaping modern drone defense.

Kurt Freshley, Chief Growth Officer of Valinor Enterprises, joins the show to break down the company's strategy and portfolio companies while sharing what it actually takes to scale in defense and advanced manufacturing.

Jamie Goettler (CRO, BTX Precision) breaks down what’s actually happening inside U.S. advanced manufacturing right now.

Demand across defense, aerospace, semiconductors, and medical devices is surging at the same time, but the real story is on the supply side. Can U.S. manufacturing actually scale to meet it?

We cover reshoring, tariffs, precision manufacturing constraints, and what it takes to rebuild the industrial base.

Topics include:

• Why demand is rising across multiple industries at once

• The real bottlenecks in U.S. manufacturing capacity

• What reshoring looks like in practice

• The role tariffs play in accelerating domestic production

• Why precision manufacturing is uniquely difficult to scale

Questions answered in this episode:

• Why is U.S. manufacturing demand increasing?

• Can the U.S. reshore production at scale?

• What are the biggest constraints in advanced manufacturing?

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Rick Harlow, founder of NovaSpark Energy, joins the show to break down how his company turns water into hydrogen for military drones, backup power, and off-grid energy systems.

The conversation covers defense use cases, disaster response, critical infrastructure, data center demand, and why on-site hydrogen production could eliminate major supply chain bottlenecks. Rick also shares his path from telecom and early IoT into startups, defense, and energy entrepreneurship. This is a practical discussion about resilience, logistics, and where hydrogen may actually make sense in the real world.

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Patrick Blumenthal (Investor at Anomaly Fund) returns to break down how venture capital actually works in defense, what makes founders worth backing, and how geopolitical realities shape investment decisions.

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The conversation spans Iran, great power competition, and the second-order effects of U.S. strategy on global markets and startups. Patrick also shares how he evaluates companies, why certain founders consistently outperform, and where defense tech is still misunderstood by investors.

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Jocelyn Kinsey, Partner at DFJ Growth, joins us for a deep dive into defense tech investing, startup strategy, and the realities of building in the national security ecosystem.

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Jocelyn Kinsey on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-kinsey/

DFJ Growth Website:

https://dfjgrowth.com/

DFJ Growth has been investing in deep tech for decades, including early bets on SpaceX.

In this conversation, Jocelyn explains how the firm approaches growth-stage investing—and why defense is fundamentally different from traditional venture categories.We cover:

• Why defense is a hit-driven industry, not SaaS
• The surge of capital into defense and whether it’s a bubble
• Lessons from SpaceX and Palantir on working with government
• How modern drone warfare is reshaping defense priorities
• The need for layered counter-drone systems
• Why detection remains one of the hardest problems
• What investors look for in defense founders and teams
• The importance of marketing, lobbying, and go-to-market

If you’re building or investing in defense tech, this episode is a clear look at how the game actually works.

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Today we’re joined by Charles Acknin and Isaac Roberts from Skyways, the Austin-based aerospace company building long-range autonomous cargo aircraft for real logistics missions.

We dig into why Skyways went defense-first, how they turned early Marine Corps interest into a long-running Navy contract pipeline, and what it takes to fly autonomous VTOL cargo off ships in rough conditions. The conversation gets tactical on the tradeoffs of VTOL and hybrid propulsion, plus what “scale” actually means when you’re building a 1,000+ mile range platform.

We also zoom out into startup execution versus fundraising, the realities of selling into DoD, and how automation is reshaping internal ops across defense tech.

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Chandler Luzsicza, Founder and CEO of Galadyne, joins us to break down why he’s betting on liquid propulsion to reinvent long-range missile production. A former SpaceX engineer who started working on liquid rockets as a teenager, Chandler is now building containerized, scalable missile platforms designed to bypass the bottlenecks of traditional solid rocket motors.

We get into supply chain fragility, why ammonium perchlorate is a strategic constraint, and how commercial space engineering culture can modernize missile development. Chandler also explains Galadyne’s 1,000km-class strike platform, recruiting tactics to pull “new space” talent into defense, and why production at scale — tens of thousands per year — is the real deterrent.

It’s a candid conversation about propulsion, venture backing from Andreessen Horowitz, and the ethics of building weapons in a world where “peace through strength” is more than a slogan.

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Heather Armentrout, President and General Manager of Kongsberg US, joins the show for a candid look at how a European defense leader is scaling real production inside the United States.

We cover NASAMS, CROWS, and how lessons from Ukraine are shaping air defense, counter-UAS, and “affordable mass.” Heather breaks down what it actually takes to deliver programs of record: supply chain, manufacturability, and why production is the hard part.

We also talk about Kongsberg’s US expansion, new facilities, and how partners think about China, export controls, and re-industrializing the arsenal of democracy. Practical, inside-baseball, and heavy on execution.

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The war in Ukraine, defense tech, procurement, and private capital are colliding in real time, and most people in the West are missing what matters.

Mentions:

Austin Gray, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Blue Water Autonomy, returns to the show to break down what it actually takes to build large unmanned ships that can operate for months without touch maintenance.

We get into why Navy shipbuilding cycles keep drifting into multi-year design spirals, and how unmanned platforms change the math on payload, endurance, and scale.

Austin walks through the USV market landscape, including the split between “real ships” vs smaller craft, and why peace-time TAM and price-times-quantity matters for defense startups.

We also cover the Navy’s acquisition reorg and what it means for autonomy buyers on the inside. The conversation closes on carrier strike group integration, loyal wingman concepts for destroyers, and why missile capacity and sustainment are the real constraints.

Olaf Hichwa joins the podcast to break down the reality of modern drone warfare, FPVs, and why small drones now drive the majority of battlefield casualties.

Drawing on direct exposure to Ukraine and deep experience building real systems, Olaf explains why drone-on-drone combat, cost-imposing weapons, and industrial-scale manufacturing matter more than hype around autonomy or directed energy.Olaf is the co-founder and CTO of Neros Technologies.

Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10), former Army Special Forces officer and defense manufacturer, joins the show to talk about why he ran for office after the fall of Afghanistan and what that moment signaled to adversaries. We dig into the economics of modern conflict, why the West keeps ending up upside down on cost, and how cheap mass systems are changing the battlefield.

Rep. Harrigan explains “Skyfoundry,” a new approach aimed at building US drone production capacity without betting everything on uncertain future appropriations. We also break down how authorization, appropriations, and reconciliation actually work, and what the $2.5B small UAS injection could mean for industry.

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Scott Sanders is the Chief Growth Officer at Forterra. Scott joins us to talk about counter-UAS, unmanned systems, and why scaling hardware is fundamentally different from software.

We cover USVs and UGVs, recent fundraising across the defense industrial base, and what companies like Anduril and Rheinmetall reveal about today’s acquisition environment. Scott explains how DoD acquisition really works, from program offices to government relations, and why early demo failures are a normal part of delivering real capability.

The conversation closes on C2 integration, tactical communications, and what it would take to rebuild a durable U.S. defense ecosystem.

Episode 59.

Shannon Vaughn breaks down how modern China actually works, why the CCP’s primary objective is regime survival, and how that shapes everything from AI policy to military strategy.

Defense tech, robotics, and edge AI are moving fast, but scaling them in the real world is hard. Hunter Dunbar, Chief Product Officer at Luxonis, joins the show to break down embedded computer vision, AI hardware, and perception systems used across drones, robotics, and defense applications.

Mike Weigand, Founder and CEO of Aventra Defense Systems, joins the show to unpack a radically different approach to long-range strike and mass precision.

Drew Horne, founder and CEO of GreenMet, joins the show to break down the rare earth crisis and what the United States needs to do to remain competitive. He previously led critical minerals policy work inside the White House, DoD, and DOE, and offers a direct view into how mineral sourcing shapes defense, energy, and emerging technologies.We cover how U.S. permitting and processing became bottlenecks, and what it will take to stand up credible non-Chinese alternatives.Drew also explains the future of neodymium magnets, dysprosium, nuclear energy, and the surge of private capital flowing into critical minerals.If you want an insider perspective on supply chains, energy security, and the materials that power modern weapons and AI, this episode is essential.Episode 56.

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Emma Bates, co-founder and CEO of Cachai, joins the show to break down what true drone swarming actually means and why almost no one has achieved it. Drawing from her background in defense modernization and distributed systems, Emma explains how her team is building software that enables drones and autonomous systems to operate without a single point of failure. The conversation dives into distributed consensus, the difference between “common” and “consistent” operating pictures, and why the U.S. must rethink how it evaluates and procures software. It’s a deep, funny, and surprisingly human discussion about autonomy, warfare, startups, and what it really means to make machines think together.

Episode 54.

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Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm, returns to the show for a live episode recorded at Battlefield 2027.

Firestorm is building deployable, modular 3D printing systems that can manufacture drones, parts, and tools directly at the edge of operations — a game-changing capability for contested logistics.

We discuss how Firestorm’s portable manufacturing units are reshaping military production, the lessons learned from early Army field tests, and how 3D printing is enabling faster repair and sustainment in the field. Dan also shares his perspective on the realities of scaling a defense startup, the “valley of death” between R&D and procurement, and what it takes to survive in the new era of defense innovation.

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Rob Sladen is the Chairman and CEO of Zulu Pods, a company pioneering next-generation lubrication and fluid delivery systems for aerospace and defense.

Before founding Zulu Pods, Sladen spent 13 years at Pratt & Whitney designing jet engines — experience that now fuels his startup’s role as the “picks and shovels” behind future weapon systems.In this episode, we talk about how Zulu Pods’ “Tide Pod for jet engines” was invented, the state of DoD procurement, and why small defense startups face such steep barriers breaking into military programs.

Rob also dives into dual-use technology, cost-plus contracting, and why the Army’s approach to acquisition timelines desperately needs reform. It’s a sharp, insider look at building in defense, raising capital, and rethinking how the next generation of aerospace systems will actually get built.

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John Ferry returns to the show for one of the most blunt conversations yet about the defense startup ecosystem. From the realities of selling to government and surviving the “valley of death” to the cultural dysfunction inside acquisition, Ferry lays out why so many startups die before getting their product fielded and what it actually takes to win.Steve and John discuss how relationships drive every contract, why SBIRs rarely translate to real programs, and how companies like Anduril changed the game through capital, branding, and strategy. They also unpack the coming wave of private equity in defense tech, the illusion of “dual use,” and how the primes still shape who gets a seat at the table.This is the insider’s look at the real mechanics of government contracting, culture, and survival in defense tech.Episode 51.

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Church Hutton, Chief Growth Officer at AV Inc. (formerly AeroVironment), joins the show for a deep dive into the future of autonomous systems, directed energy, and defense innovation.

A retired Army officer and longtime Hill staffer, Church brings an insider’s view of how national security priorities, procurement, and industrial competition with China are evolving.

He shares how AV is doubling down on robotics, drones, and lasers following its merger with BlueHalo, and why the company’s investments in internal R&D are outpacing much of the defense industry. Steve and Church also dig into lessons from Ukraine, U.S. homeland defense policy challenges, and what’s next for programs like Golden Dome and directed-energy systems.

This episode unpacks how the defense industrial base is changing and what the next generation of defense companies are getting right.

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Jeff Wright, founder and CEO of SplashOne Robotics, joins the show to discuss how his company is developing small, purpose-built fighter drones to redefine air superiority.

A former Marine and Air Force Special Tactics Officer, Wright brings a warfighter’s perspective to modern defense tech — from the limits of current counter-drone systems to the coming shift toward autonomous, air-to-air combat.

We cover the “drone bubble” shaping defense startups, how SplashOne is tackling the kill chain end-to-end, and why bullets—not missiles—may define the next era of air defense.

Wright also shares what he learned leading drone initiatives across INDOPACOM, why he built his first prototypes in his garage, and what it takes to found a defense startup straight out of uniform.

This episode goes deep on the future of air combat, the realities of defense innovation, and the mindset required to build the next generation of fighter drones.

Episode #49.

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Max Vozoff, Chief Technology Officer at X-Bow Systems, joins the show to discuss the urgent challenges and opportunities in America’s solid rocket motor industry.

With decades of experience, including early work at SpaceX, Vozoff explains why the U.S. is facing a “Sputnik moment” in hypersonics and energetics — and how X-Bow is building new manufacturing methods to meet the demand.

We dive into X-Bow’s “rocket factory in a box,” distributed production concepts, and their growing role as a second source supplier for hypersonic weapons. Vozoff also shares lessons from startup scaling, his perspective on contracting bottlenecks in defense, and what it will take for America to regain an edge in critical propulsion technology.

This is a rare insider’s look at the transformation of one of the defense sector’s most overlooked but essential industries.

Todd Graetz, co-founder and CEO of Aerolane, joins the show to share how his aviation startup is reimagining air cargo with autonomous glider-based aircraft. From his early work launching one of the first large-scale drone programs at BNSF Railway to building Aerolane's innovative “air cart” system, Graetz has been at the forefront of UAV and aerospace innovation for over a decade.

We discuss the challenges of scaling U.S. drone manufacturing, the realities of FAA regulation, and why bans on Chinese drones won’t solve the underlying problems. Graetz also reflects on recruiting rare engineering talent, lessons learned from entrepreneurship inside a Fortune 500, and the future of autonomous cargo transport. This is a deep insider’s look at drones, aviation, and what it takes to change how goods move through the sky.

Jon Dandrow, CEO of Radenso and Strikeman, joins the show to talk about building advanced radar detection systems, modular sensing hardware, and consumer-to-defense innovation.

From hacking traffic cameras in his college years to leading dual-use technology companies, Dandrow shares the unconventional path that brought him into the defense world. We dive into how modular, FPGA-powered platforms are reshaping signals intelligence and CUAS, the challenges of manufacturing in the U.S. versus China, and why full-stack engineering capability matters.

He also opens up about funding strategies, lessons learned from past startups, and the realities of operating at the intersection of consumer electronics and defense tech.

Episode #46

Companies & Guest

Matt McCrann, U.S. Navy veteran and CEO of DroneShield US, joins the show to talk about the evolving fight against drone threats.

From handheld jammers like the DroneGun MkIV to advanced sensor fusion and AI-powered RF detection, DroneShield is building modular tools for defense and homeland security.

We dig into the cat-and-mouse game with adversary drones, lessons from Ukraine, and how modular hardware and software-defined jamming keep pace with new threats. McCrann also shares insights on working with the DoD, DHS, and allies, the role of startups in defense, and where unmanned ground and maritime systems are headed. A candid, insider look at one of the leading companies shaping the counter-UAS space.

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Paul Lwin is the co-founder and CEO of HavocAI, a defense startup building collaborative autonomous surface vessels. In this episode, Paul breaks down the company’s tech stack, their strategic approach to naval warfare, and how Havoc’s 14-foot robotic boats might reshape the future of the Pacific fight.We dive into dual-use applications, investor narratives, defense procurement challenges, and the software-first strategy behind Havoc’s growth from five people to seventy in under a year.

Paul also reflects on Navy life, co-founder dynamics, and what it takes to scale real hardware in a high-stakes industry. A must-listen for anyone in defense tech or autonomy.

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General James Rainey leads the U.S. Army’s effort to prepare for the next war. As the Commanding General of Army Futures Command, he’s focused on adapting to a battlefield shaped by drones, autonomy, and AI.

In this conversation, he breaks down how drone warfare in Ukraine is reshaping military thinking, why adaptability—not prediction—is the key to readiness, and how the Army is transforming its doctrine, org charts, and tech stack.

We also cover advanced weapons systems, IVAS, industrial base mobilization, and why the Army must stay focused on lethality above all else. If you want a clear-eyed view of how military transformation actually happens, start here.

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