DIB Innovators

RADICL

The DIB Innovators podcast celebrates the brilliant minds behind innovation within the Defense Industrial Base. In each episode, host and co-founder of RADICL, David Graff will speak with DIB leaders who are driving technological advancements, championing our nation’s security, and shaping the future of defense technology. Brought to you by RADICL — Cybersecurity-as-a-Service purpose-built for small and mid-sized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base. Starting your CMMC journey? RADICL guides and accelerates your compliance—while reducing ransomware and other cyber risks—with a transparent, turn-key solution. www.radicl.com/cmmc_solved

  1. EP 98 — AimLock's Bryan Bockmon on Keeping Humans in the Kill Decision While Automating the Rest

    4D AGO

    EP 98 — AimLock's Bryan Bockmon on Keeping Humans in the Kill Decision While Automating the Rest

    The Keystone fire control module is weapon-agnostic from day one. Bryan Bockmon, CEO, President, & Chairman of AimLock, describes how the same edge computing system that directs a machine gun can be reconfigured for missiles, grenades, or lasers by rotating out effectors without rebuilding the platform. That modularity is a direct response to an increasingly common battlefield reality: adversaries iterate faster than any requirements-based acquisition process can respond, and single-purpose systems are obsolete before they're fielded. Bryan also breaks down how AimLock used OTAs to compress the gap between prototype and deployable capability, why he believes the requirements-based procurement process will never work again, and what it actually costs in time and credibility to build defense tech a decade before the funded demand signal exists to support it.  Topics discussed: Designing modular fire control systems that swap effectors and sensors to avoid obsolescence across evolving threat environments Automating target acquisition and engagement with human operators retained in the kill-decision loop Using other transaction authorities OTAs to prototype and test lethal systems outside standard federal acquisition regulations Building defense tech a decade ahead of the funded demand signal and the timing risk that creates Why single-purpose weapon systems fail against adversaries who iterate faster than requirements-based procurement can respond Contrasting small business iteration speed with large prime bureaucracy and the collaboration model that bridges them The counter-drone threat as an economic and tactical inflection point reshaping short-range air defense doctrine Why the requirements-based procurement process is no longer viable and what replaces it in practice

    38 min
  2. EP 97 — Teague's Matt McElvogue on Why Operators Stop Trusting the Tech & Start Working Around It

    MAY 12

    EP 97 — Teague's Matt McElvogue on Why Operators Stop Trusting the Tech & Start Working Around It

    Matt McElvogue, VP of Design at Teague, doesn't talk about design as a polish layer. He talks about it as a mission-critical failure point. His clearest example: a $5,000 tactical device used by JTAC operators for calling in 9-line bombing runs, where zeroizing the device was buried so deep in the menu that soldiers in the field resorted to shooting it or blowing it up. That failure isn't a UX anecdote; it's the operational cost of ignoring the experience layer.  Matt lays out how AI and autonomous systems are now forcing a fundamental rethink of that layer, specifically the shift from in-the-loop to on-the-loop decision-making, and the three trust requirements every autonomous system interface must satisfy: legibility, predictability, and recoverability. He also describes a coming design challenge that has no precedent, which is building interface components for AI systems that will dynamically assemble the UX themselves, in real time, based on individual context.  Topics discussed: How AI and autonomy are shifting military operators from in-the-loop to on-the-loop as threat volumes scale  The three trust requirements for autonomous system UI design: legibility, predictability, and recoverability Working with early-stage defense companies before contracts arrive and how early design involvement shapes technical requirements  AI systems that dynamically assemble their own UX, requiring designers to build components for experiences they can’t fully predict How procurement decision-makers who grew up with iPhones are raising the bar for defense technology usability Why trust erosion from poor interface design is effectively irreversible so the military ends up with expensive equipment operators work around

    43 min
  3. EP 96 — Patriot Group's David Dickey on When Defense Tech Startups Can't Hire Fast Enough to Scale

    APR 30

    EP 96 — Patriot Group's David Dickey on When Defense Tech Startups Can't Hire Fast Enough to Scale

    David Dickey, CEO, Founder, & Executive Search Consultant of Patriot Group, has seen it happen: an executive placed into a PE-backed defense company and a year later, the firm was contracting operations and pushing to sell. It wasn’t because of the market, but because the hire who looked great on paper couldn't actually lead. David has founded and exited aerospace and defense companies before starting Patriot Group, and watched that pattern repeat enough times that he built his entire process around preventing it.  He walks through the Patriot Method, which focuses on the “p” being for “planning.” He also reflects on how most job descriptions are laundry lists that have to be torn apart before a search can even begin, how a scorecard keeps hiring teams from getting charmed by a good talker, and why running the same questions through the candidate, the brief, and the reference check is the only way to build real signal on something as hard to fake as leadership under pressure.  Topics discussed: Using scorecards and structured job description reviews to eliminate "laundry list" hiring and focus searches on actual requirements Navigating the talent gap facing defense tech startups competing for the same senior candidates from high-logo companies Screening executive candidates for AI fluency through scenario questions, written questionnaires, and reference checks Identifying what separates high-impact defense executives from candidates who perform well in interviews but fail in the seat Why senior military operators face a harder transition into defense tech executive roles than technical veterans How the Patriot Method (planning, scorecards, submission packages, and communication) reduces offer-stage surprises and failed placements How competitive comp, defined growth path, and a differentiated story drives top defense tech talent to leave established companies Why founders cannot delegate accountability for culture to a head of people and what happens to companies that do

    45 min
  4. EP 95 — Sagittarius Logistics' Jonathan Slavik on Payload Handoffs in Hours, Not Months

    APR 23

    EP 95 — Sagittarius Logistics' Jonathan Slavik on Payload Handoffs in Hours, Not Months

    Coastal launch infrastructure is a strategic chokepoint that is one EW disruption off the Cape grounds US space ops, and bespoke responsive launch systems top out at a magazine depth of three. Jonathan Slavik, Co-Founder & CEO of Sagittarius Logistics, is building the orbital launch company incumbents structurally cannot become: designed from day one for payload handoffs measured in hours, non-destructive abort capability that unlocks inland and distributed launch, and an airline-model operations stack that gives the DOD unlimited reconstitution depth by stepping directly into a commercial flow already running at daily cadence. Jonathan walks through the technical architecture and the FAA regulatory roadmap for over-land launch.  Topics discussed: Why commercially-driven space companies require market-responsive launch timelines that existing providers structurally cannot offer How non-destructive abort capability eliminates months-long payload acceptance testing and enables FAA approval for inland over-land launch routes The airline model for launch operations: swapping vehicles without delaying payloads and scheduling days or weeks out instead of years Why incumbent launch providers are locked out of this market by prior design decisions and an incompatible business model National security case for distributed inland launch: eliminating coastal single points of failure and replacing bespoke warehouse-stored rockets  Revenue-first company building strategy: subscale hovering rocket vehicles generating early revenue Human-on-the-loop ML architecture: 30-40 simultaneous sensor data streams used to detect anomalies before they require vehicle recovery How a commercial procurement mindset benefits DOD by matching real mission requirements to available commercial capabilities

    44 min
  5. EP 94 — Silent Ventures' Jackson Moses on Why Dual Use Is a Dirty Word in Defense Tech

    APR 16

    EP 94 — Silent Ventures' Jackson Moses on Why Dual Use Is a Dirty Word in Defense Tech

    Jackson Moses, Founder and Managing Partner at Silent Ventures, spent a decade building companies before he started backing them. He founded Silent Ventures to invest exclusively at the pre-seed and seed stage in aerospace, defense, and national security, specifically because he believed most early-stage investors didn't understand what it actually took to survive inside the defense contracting system. Jackson makes the case that most defense tech companies fail on go to market, not technology, and that a program of record is the only outcome that turns a defense tech startup into a real business. He also gives a direct take on why dual use is a hedge word, why SBIR dollars prolong the valley of death instead of crossing it, and why diversification is the wrong thesis for anyone investing seriously in this space. Topics discussed: Why SBIRs prolong the valley of death instead of solving it Dual use as a hedge word, not a strategy Program of record as the only real success metric for defense tech What Silent Ventures looks for in a founding team at pre-seed Go-to-market as the primary failure point in defense tech Why diversification kills alpha in defense tech investing Biggest funding gaps: electronic warfare and affordable drone mass The case against building a defense tech company around non-dilutive funding

    51 min
  6. EP 93 — Atlas Cup's Philip Hover-Smoot on Building Capital Pathways Outside Government Funds

    APR 9

    EP 93 — Atlas Cup's Philip Hover-Smoot on Building Capital Pathways Outside Government Funds

    There are roughly 438 companies building propulsion systems for space right now. Nobody knows which ones actually perform. Philip Hover Smoot, CEO of Atlas Cup, is building a model to fix that, one that creates a capital pathway outside traditional defense funding, a proving ground for real on-orbit performance, and a non-government revenue stream for companies that need to survive long enough to win. Atlas Cup's model doesn't ask anyone to build new hardware. It draws ruleset boundaries around satellites already in orbit at the end of their primary mission. These assets have propulsion still in the tank, licensing already paid, operators already covering TTNC and orbital maintenance. Those assets become a performance stage instead of a sunk cost. The data generated maps directly to what Space Systems Command is looking for, and for DIB contractors who need a credible commerciality plan, it may be one of the only honest answers available.  Topics discussed: Turning end-of-mission satellite assets into a competitive racing ecosystem Why over 400 propulsion companies exist but no one knows who's actually best The dual-use case for Atlas Cup within DOD acquisition and commerciality requirements Designing a league structure that externalizes every regulatory and licensing burden Building toward a 2028 Grand Prix with chemical propulsion and university class divisions How racing data, like maneuverability, pointing, and tracking maps directly to Space Force requirements Why SBIR-dependent space companies need non-government revenue to survive The fan experience challenge: visualizations, immersive venues, and short-format content distribution What professional racing did for automotive and why space needs the same forcing function Space domain awareness classification and why open competitive data changes the equation

    52 min
  7. EP 92 — Rogue Space Systems' Brook Leonard on Building the Infrastructure Layer for Modular Space Operations

    APR 2

    EP 92 — Rogue Space Systems' Brook Leonard on Building the Infrastructure Layer for Modular Space Operations

    Brook Leonard, CEO of Rogue Space Systems, spent 31 years in the Air Force, including as Chief of Staff of US Space Command. Today he is building the modular infrastructure layer that makes space operations faster, cheaper, and sustainable beyond a single mission. Brook breaks down why the current model (bespoke, fully integrated satellites that become debris) can't keep pace with the speed of modern competition, and how Rogue's approach of separating the satellite chassis from the payload changes what's possible on orbit. Rogue's pitch to commercial customers: five times faster, five times cheaper to space. They also get into edge AI and why ground-based processing isn't an option when communication is delayed and reaction windows are seconds, the national security implications of contested space and where the US is falling behind.  Topics discussed: Why the current model of bespoke, fully integrated satellites that die as debris is unsustainable for both commercial and military space How modular architecture separates the satellite chassis from the payload, like a truck is separate from the container it hauls What "space shipping containers" actually are and how they enable on-orbit payload swaps without relaunching Why edge compute and AI autonomy are non-negotiable in space: communication delay, incomplete tracking, and reaction time How persistent unmanned platform works as an on-orbit depot: hosting payloads, supplying power and compute, enabling refueling and mission changes Why the biggest growth opportunity in defense right now is infrastructure, not payloads What China is doing right that we aren't: getting technology into operational units fast and iterating off exercises Why human colonies in space are overhyped, and how autonomous systems will do the work instead

    40 min
  8. EP 91 — IceNine's Jeff Crusey on the SaaS Playbook Mismatch That Takes Hard Tech Companies off the Rails

    MAR 26

    EP 91 — IceNine's Jeff Crusey on the SaaS Playbook Mismatch That Takes Hard Tech Companies off the Rails

    Jeff Crusey, General Partner at IceNine, has watched the same failure mode repeat across energy, defense, and deep tech: investors who don't understand the technology gain large ownership stakes and take companies off the rails. That pattern is what pushed him to launch IceNine, an early-stage venture firm built around first-principle technical depth and embedded government networks rather than a SaaS growth playbook.  Jeff breaks down what he actually underwrites before a product exists, why he tells every founder to start lobbying and appropriations on day one,and why compliance isn't an end-stage checkbox but the wall that stops great technology cold. He also makes the case that orbital defense is the most dangerous and underfunded gap in national security right now, and that the reason it stays that way is simple: the investors who could fix it don't understand it well enough to write the check.  Topics discussed: Why venture capital firms applying SaaS investment playbooks to hard tech consistently destroy value and derail defense companies Evaluating pre-product defense startups using technology thesis development, unit economics scrutiny, and team unfair advantage The day-one lobbying and appropriations pattern that separates defense companies hitting early revenue targets from those that stall Why compliance, not technology, failures are the most common wall that stops defense startups from scaling with government customers The case for orbital defense as the most underfunded gap in national security and why most investors aren't equipped to close it Why defense founders should treat speed of execution as more important than optimizing for investor value-add when raising capital

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

About

The DIB Innovators podcast celebrates the brilliant minds behind innovation within the Defense Industrial Base. In each episode, host and co-founder of RADICL, David Graff will speak with DIB leaders who are driving technological advancements, championing our nation’s security, and shaping the future of defense technology. Brought to you by RADICL — Cybersecurity-as-a-Service purpose-built for small and mid-sized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base. Starting your CMMC journey? RADICL guides and accelerates your compliance—while reducing ransomware and other cyber risks—with a transparent, turn-key solution. www.radicl.com/cmmc_solved

Information

  • Creator
    RADICL
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © RADICL
  • Show Website
    DIB Innovators

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