The Ben & Marc Show: China Has Scale. Can America Catch Up?
Ben, Marc, and Erik Torenberg are joined by Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder & CEO of Anduril, and Chris Power, Founder & CEO of Hadrian. Together, they dig into America’s defense production gap: why the U.S. can out-innovate but not out-produce—and what it will take to turn that around.
They discuss why U.S. war games show we run out of munitions in a week, the myth of “exquisite-only” systems, how to rebuild industrial capacity with software-led automation, financing factories like data centers, and what it takes to create real deterrence in a Taiwan scenario.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:27 Technical Superiority vs. Industrial Scale
3:59 The Decline of US Manufacturing
7:23 Challenges in Onshoring & Skilled Labor
13:27 Supply Chains & Rare Earths
15:34 Automation, Software, and Catching Up
17:15 Complexity of Modern Production
23:34 Strategic Policy & Industrial Planning
26:37 Regulatory Barriers & State vs. Federal Roles
35:27 Talent, Data Centers, and Financial Engineering
38:33 China’s Industrial Policy & US Response
46:07 US Manufacturing, National Security, and the China Challenge
52:00 Demographics, Long-Term Outlook, and Closing Thoughts
Resources:
Find Chris on X: https://x.com/chris_power
Find Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschimpf/
Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz
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The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds. PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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China Has Mass. Can America Catch Up?
Ben, Marc, and Erik Torenberg are joined by Brian Schimpf, Cofounder & CEO of Anduril, and Chris Power, Founder & CEO of Hadrian. Together, they dig into America’s defense production gap: why the U.S. can out-innovate but not out-produce—and what it will take to turn that around.
They discuss why U.S. war games show we run out of munitions in a week, the myth of “exquisite-only” systems, how to rebuild industrial capacity with software-led automation, financing factories like data centers, and what it takes to create real deterrence in a Taiwan scenario.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:54 The Myth of Technical Superiority
3:31 Erosion of US Manufacturing
6:50 Challenges in Rebuilding Industrial Capacity
8:31 The Skilled Labor Crisis
15:01 Automation and the Future of Manufacturing
17:57 Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
26:05 Regulatory and Policy Barriers
36:49 Financial Engineering vs. Industrial Policy
46:15 US vs. China: Strategic Competition
46:55 The Taiwan Scenario & War Gaming
52:55 Demographics, Economics, and CCP Strategy
Resources:
Find Chris on X: https://x.com/chris_power
Find Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschimpf/
Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz
Listen to Us!
Apple: https://bit.ly/3SdsfNt
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3SclPOr
Stay Updated:
Find us on X:https://x.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds. PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
How AI Is Changing Warfare with Brian Schimpf, CEO of Anduril
How is AI reshaping modern warfare?
Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, Anduril cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf discusses how AI helps humans make better strategic decisions by sorting through the enormous amount of data collected from modern battlefields. Schimpf also discusses navigating the US government’s complex procurement processes, using commercial technologies to kickstart their own product development, and the growing opportunities for startups in defense. Throughout, Brian offers a deep dive into the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and the future of defense.
This episode is part of our AI Revolution series, where we explore how industry leaders are leveraging generative AI to steer innovation and navigate the next major platform shift. Discover more insights and content from the AI Revolution series at a16z.com/AIRevolution.
Resources:
Find Brian on X: https://x.com/schimpfbrian
Find David on X: https://x.com/davidgeorge83
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Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
AI & Defense Technology with Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf
Today on No Priors, we discuss defense technology, AI, drones, and autonomous vehicles (think giant submarine drones!) with Brian Schimpf, the co-founder and CEO of Anduril, a next-generation defense technology company. From his early days of coding at age 12 to working on self-driving cars, and finally founding Anduril, Brian's incredible journey led him to create innovative solutions for pressing defense problems.
This episode covers the impact of AI, intelligent software, and other technologies to defense. We discuss the challenges of deploying and selling technology in the government spaceBrian shared his perspective on building general-purpose defense technology, the importance of a software-first approach, and how Anduril is working to solve urgent defense problems with speed and efficiency.
As we wrapped up our conversation, we touched on the recent shift in the low cost of space launch, which has changed the way the US thinks about defense. We examined the proliferation of satellites, drones, and hypersonic missiles, and how these technologies can be applied, scaled, and built in a way that can fundamentally shift America's approach to defense. Don't miss this fascinating episode with Brian Schimpf as we uncover the cutting edge of defense technology and its implications for the future.
No Priors is now on YouTube! Subscribe to the channel on YouTube and like this episode.
Show Links:
May 16, 2023: AI in Military Operations and How We Can Prevent It From Outsized Effects
May 9, 2023: CNBC Disruptor 50 - Anduril Industries
Anduril Website
Anduril Newsroom
Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com
Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @SchimpfBrian
Show Notes:
[0:00:01] - Exploring AI in Defense Tech
[0:05:15] - Lower Cost Defense With Intelligent Software
[0:15:10] - Building General Purpose Defense Technology
[0:20:41] - Autonomy in Defense Challenges
[0:25:05] - Machine Learning in Defense & Intelligence
[0:29:06] - Scaling a Defense Tech Company
[0:37:08] - The Future of Defense Technology
[0:46:53] - Allied Forces and Washington Engagement
[0:51:47] - Discussion on Leadership Popularity
Anduril: Building the Future of Defense - [Business Breakdowns, EP. 59]
Today, we are running a special episode of Business Breakdowns. With geopolitics playing an increasingly important role in society again, this episode with Anduril’s CEO offers an inside look at the state of the defense industry and how it is changing. If you enjoy this episode, subscribe to Business Breakdowns on your preferred podcast player, where you’ll find past episodes on Block, Goldman Sachs, AutoZone and many others.
Today, we are breaking down Anduril. Anduril builds high tech defense systems for the US Department of Defense and its allies. Crucially, it does so with speed that emanates from Silicon Valley. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, who previously built and sold Oculus to Facebook, Anduril has achieved the rare feat of challenging the established order in the defense industry.
To break down Anduril, I’m joined by the company’s CEO and co-founder, Brian Schimpf. We discuss the history of the defense industry, how Anduril’s business is counter positioned against the legacy cost-plus model, and what Brian has learned about selling to the DoD. Please enjoy this breakdown of Anduril.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
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Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss
Show Notes
[00:02:52] - [First question] - The history of defense technology and the technological and competitive landscape when he set out to build Anduril
[00:08:22] - What the early experience was like when approaching the government and finding an early adopter
[00:12:44] - Necessity being the mother of invention when it came to developing drones
[00:16:37] - What it’s like to develop hardware and software products at the same time
[00:24:44] - The state of military technology and military conflict today writ large
[00:31:10] - Are we heading to a future where warfare is mostly machine against machine?
[00:33:34] - Comparing the ghost drone system to predator drones
[00:38:40] - Guiding principles as a firm and deciding on their product roadmap
[00:43:25] - An overview of their product lineup and what they’ve built so far
[00:51:56] - Most difficult decisions he’s had to make through Anduril’s history
[00:53:51] - How he overcame Anduril’s lowest points and biggest challenges
[00:58:38] - Thoughts on effectively compounding hardware innovation
[01:02:23] - A moment he’s most proud of and regrets most in Anduril’s history
[01:04:20] - Lessons learned from observing Palantir and SpaceX
[01:08:37] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him
Anduril: Building the Future of Defense - [Business Breakdowns, EP. 59]
Today, we are breaking down Anduril. Anduril builds high tech defense systems for the US Department of Defense and its allies. Crucially, it does so with speed that emanates from Silicon Valley. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, who previously built and sold Oculus to Facebook, Anduril has achieved the rare feat of challenging the established order in the defense industry.
To break down Anduril, I’m joined by the company’s CEO and co-founder, Brian Schimpf. We discuss the history of the defense industry, how Anduril’s business is counter positioned against the legacy cost-plus model, and what Brian has learned about selling to the DoD. Please enjoy this breakdown of Anduril.
For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.
-----
Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.
Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.
Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss
Show Notes
[00:02:52] - [First question] - The history of defense technology and the technological and competitive landscape when he set out to build Anduril
[00:08:22] - What the early experience was like when approaching the government and finding an early adopter
[00:12:44] - Necessity being the mother of invention when it came to developing drones
[00:16:37] - What it’s like to develop hardware and software products at the same time
[00:20:26] - How the defense business complex works economically and overview of the detailed cost plus model
[00:24:44] - The state of military technology and military conflict today writ large
[00:31:10] - Are we heading to a future where warfare is mostly machine against machine?
[00:33:34] - Comparing the ghost drone system to predator drones
[00:38:40] - Guiding principles as a firm and deciding on their product roadmap
[00:43:25] - An overview of their product lineup and what they’ve built so far
[00:48:13] - Having an open innovation policy to promote competition
[00:49:37] - The nuance of politics when it comes to building and running their business
[00:51:56] - Most difficult decisions he’s had to make through Anduril’s history
[00:53:51] - How he overcame Anduril’s lowest points and biggest challenges
[00:58:38] - Thoughts on effectively compounding hardware innovation
[01:02:23] - A moment he’s most proud of and regrets most in Anduril’s history
[01:04:20] - Lessons learned from observing Palantir and SpaceX
[01:08:37] - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him
Episode 16 - Trae Stephens and Brian Schimpf
This week I talk to Trae Stephens and Brian Schimpf from Anduril Industries, an AI defense contractor, about the current state of AI research and deployment for national security, including how the US stacks up against China. We also talked about the resistance among US engineers to work on defense applications and whether that hobbles the US in the global AI arms race.
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