E41 – Firestorm
Don’t miss our newsletter! That's where we drop weekly knowledge bombs to help you make sense of defense! Mike and Jake host Dan Magy, co-founder and CEO of Firestorm. Firestorm’s mission is to democratize the air by re-imaging the way drones are built. They developed a method to 3D-print modular drones at the point of need, using a combination of shipping-container-based factories and localized supply chains. Best of all, the drones themselves are modular—from props to jets, AI to sensors, etc. The conversation went deep into “the why”: how Ukraine led to Firestorm, the real-time changing of the guard on how the Air Force thinks about building a credible force in light of all this, the exciting concept of attritable mass, rapidly innovating via crash-and-learn, and some history to boot. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! For those interested in #military #nationaldefense #warfare #nationalsecurity #defense #nationaldefense #tech #technology #defensetech #army #navy #airforce #innovation #ukraine #drone #drones #battlefield #warfare Links • Sign up for our amazing newsletter! • Support us on Patreon! • Mike Benitez (LinkedIn) • Jake Chapman X (@vc) • Dan Magy (LinkedIn) • Firestorm website ---- Follow us on... • LinkedIn • Instagram • X • Facebook • Website ---- Show Notes 01:00 intro 01:28 counter-UAS startup 01:59 Ukraine starts Firestorm 03:43 the future is RF-denied 04:43:05 Firestorm name origin 05:22 competing in a crowded drone market 06:39 air superiority in the future 06:49 rapid iteration 07:09 Dan’s LinkedIn 08:16 adversaries are sharing tech and tactics 08:51 battle lab of the world 09:36 the pace of evolution - on LinkedIn 10:22 2-week evolution cycles 12:35 drones as physical decoys 13:28 cardboard drones must be honored 14:02 thermite dropping drones 14:32 keeping pace with battlefield innovation 16:00 Investors growing weary? 17:44 high-low mix 19:43 jet-powered drone 20:17 modular propulsion 20:58 autonomy differentiator 21:52 solving for non-recurring engineering 23:23 product iteration 24:08 crash and learn 25:47 failing fast - cost-effectiveness 26:48 VC investing 28:05 attritable mass 28:15 Ukraine's drone capacity 29:59 expeditionary manufacturing 31:15 localizing supply chains 33:47 attrition, reconstitution, and risk 36:25 attrition and operations 38:19 changing of the guard moment 39:50 personal risk?