Mission Matters Podcast

Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Goldfein (Ret.) and former CIA Middle East expert Norm Roule break down recent U.S.-Israeli military operations in Iran

Drones are re-defining modern warfare – and the U.S. is behind. On the latest Mission Matters episode, we sat down with Andy Yakulis, CEO & Co-Founder of Vector Defense, to discuss what it will actually take to achieve American Drone Dominance.
Vector isn’t just building drones. They describe their business model as “Modern Warfare as a Service.” Instead of waiting years to push hardware through traditional procurement pathways, they deliver integrated capability — technology, tactics, training, and battlefield feedback loops — under service contracts that tap into O&M funding.
We discuss:- Why the Pentagon’s $1B Drone Dominance initiative is the clearest USG demand signal for attritable systems yet
- How “Drone as a Service” business model unlocks O&M funding (the largest color of money)
- Lessons from Ukraine & Israel (and why it’s not copy-paste for the U.S.)
- Building a China-free supply chain and re-industrializing American drone manufacturing

Space is a contested domain. Russian and Chinese satellites are conducting proximity operations near American satellites. Critical U.S. and allied infrastructure depends on space-based assets that can be inspected, approached — or interfered with. On the latest Mission Matters episode, we sat down with Austin Link, CEO of Starfish Space, to discuss why rendezvous & proximity operations (RPO) are becoming mission-critical.
Starfish is building “space tugs” that can dock with and move other satellites — extending mission life, disposing of debris, and enabling other national security use cases. Their recent Remora mission autonomously maneuvered one satellite within 1,250 meters of another, validating a core thesis: software can radically lower the cost of operating in orbit.
We discuss:
Why affordability and scale matter as much as exquisite capability in a contested domain

The role RPO plays in U.S. military operations

The current state of our adversaries’ orbital warfare capabilities

How SBIR → STRATFI can be a springboard to building a scalable business

Navigating classified work without slowing commercial velocity

Where LEO, GEO, and cislunar actually fit in over the next five years

The power of software to conduct complex RPO missions with relatively cheap, simple hardware

As always, please let us know what you think. And please reach out if you or anyone you know is building at the intersection of technology and national security.

After a brief government shutdown, Congress finally passed the $839B Defense Appropriations bill! What does this new budget mean for startups? In our newest Techquisition Edition of the Mission Matters podcast, David and I sit down with fmr. HAC-D staff director Johnnie Kaberle to discuss how startups can best take advantage of the opportunities presented new FY26 Approps bill.
We cover:
🔴 How the Appropriations Bill, NDAA, President's Budget Request, and the reconciliation (the “one big, beautiful bill”) fit together – and where the real funding signal lives
🔴 How startups should engage Congress to advocate for their technology without burning credibility
🔴 What next-generation technologies (AI, autonomy, space, maritime, digital infrastructure) are actually funded in the bill
🔴 The importance of the Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) to understand appropriators' intent behind the bill
🔴 How to tell whether a budget line is real, available, and competitive, or already spoken for
🔴 How appropriators think about risk, flexibility, and accountability with taxpayer dollars.
As always, please let us know what you think. And please reach out if you or anyone you know is building at the intersection of technology and national security.

🚨EMERGENCY POD! The DoW has officially released a new AI strategy, and along with it a whole slew of new reforms to the Defense Innovation Ecosystem. In the newest episode of the Techquisition Edition of the Mission Matters podcast (link below), David and I break down the DoW’s new AI strategy, the major changes to the defense innovation ecosystem, and what all these new initiatives mean for startups.
We discuss:
What it means for DIU and SCO to be designated as “field activities”
What new major AI projects the DoW is starting
How DoW is investing in data and compute infrastructure to enable rapid AI adoption
New initiatives in the services and PAEs designed to bring innovation into the hands of warfighters
And more!
As always, please let us know your thoughts, and please reach out if you or anyone you know is building at the intersection of commercial technology and national security. 

DoW AI Strategy: https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/12/2003855671/-1/-1/0/ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-STRATEGY-FOR-THE-DEPARTMENT-OF-WAR.PDF
Transforming the Defense Innovation Ecosystem to Accelerate Warfighter Advantage memo: https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/12/2003855657/-1/-1/0/TRANSFORMING-THE-DEFENSE-INNOVATION-ECOSYSTEM-TO-ACCELERATE-WARFIGHTING-ADVANTAGE.PDF
Transforming Advana to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence and Enhance Auditability Memo: https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/12/2003855671/-1/-1/0/ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-STRATEGY-FOR-THE-DEPARTMENT-OF-WAR.PDF