Drone Wars

Ex-SpaceX Dragon Capsule software lead, Karthik Gollapudi, built two-fault-tolerant systems that flew astronauts to the ISS. He left to found Sift, an AI platform that automates testing, manufacturing and observability for rockets, rovers and autonomous fleets. This episode covers: - SpaceX’s young staff & the push for automating everything. - Same job in 12 months = failure.  - Bootstrapping a tech startup team and funding.  Check out Sift: www.siftstack.com.About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

A VC pro covers AI ethics, a boom of domestic jobs in tech, and why the gov needs to get out of the way.  Hamlet Yousef is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Irongate Capital Advisors, where he leads investments in early-stage technologies that strengthen national defense. He has worked with organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies across disruptive and emerging technology sectors.   About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

A VC managing partner discusses lessons from Ukraine, UAS disrupting warfare economics and “venture tourists”.  Hamlet Yousef is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder at Irongate Capital Advisors, where he leads investments in early-stage technologies that strengthen national defense. He has worked with organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies across disruptive and emerging technology sectors.About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

Are our adversaries building ethical AI? Dive into it on the pod with Lt. Col. Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson, former combat pilot, and former Commander of the Air Force F-22 Demo Team. Since leaving active duty, he serves in the Nevada Air National Guard as an F-22 Subject Matter Expert, works for a private company as a corporate pilot flying the Challenger 300 aircraft, and consults for aviation clients.  Hear his takes on ethics in the military, democratizing defense tech, strategic bombardment and advice for the next gen of combat pilots.  About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

Are our adversaries building ethical AI? Dive into it on the pod with Lt. Col. Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson, former combat pilot, and former Commander of the Air Force F-22 Demo Team. Since leaving active duty, he serves in the Nevada Air National Guard as an F-22 Subject Matter Expert, works for a private company as a corporate pilot flying the Challenger 300 aircraft, and consults for aviation clients.  Hear his takes on ethics in the military, democratizing defense tech, strategic bombardment and advice for the next gen of combat pilots.  About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), is a Partner in the global investment firm KKR; Chairman of the KKR Global Institute; and Chairman of KKR Middle East. He is also a member of the boards of Optiv and OneStream; a Strategic Advisor for Semperis, Advanced Navigation, and Ontic; a personal venture investor; the Kissinger Fellow at Yale's Univ's Jackson School; a speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau; and co-author with Andrew Roberts of the NYT, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best seller "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza,” also selected History Book of the year by Aspects of History.About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.), is a Partner in the global investment firm KKR; Chairman of the KKR Global Institute; and Chairman of KKR Middle East. He is also a member of the boards of Optiv and OneStream; a Strategic Advisor for Semperis, Advanced Navigation, and Ontic; a personal venture investor; the Kissinger Fellow at Yale's Univ's Jackson School; a speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau; and co-author with Andrew Roberts of the NYT, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best seller "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza,” also selected History Book of the year by Aspects of History.About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

CEO and Co-Founder of Picogrid, Zane Mountcastle is a key member of the emerging El Segundo defense tech scene. Him and Dan discuss the tough questions facing founders today. Find Zane and Picogrid online:www.picogrid.comhttps://x.com/picogridhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/picogrid/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zanemountcastle/About Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

In this episode of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy continues his conversation with Brett Kanda, Director of DFR Sales at Flock Safety. In Part II, Brett offers his expert predictions on the future of the drone industry, the emerging threat of nefarious drone use, and what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur in deep tech.Brett shares his candid thoughts on the drone industry's biggest surprises, from the saturation of the consumer market to the game-changing use of FPV drones in Ukraine. He explains why the next decade will be the "golden years" for the industry, driven by a changing global supply chain, new FAA regulations, and the relentless advance of automation.Join us as Brett provides invaluable advice for the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs, drawing on lessons from his unique career as a top-ranked amateur golfer and a drone industry pioneer.Learn why being good at losing is a critical skill, why you should be "absolutely relentless," and how the industry is shifting from manual control to a future of seamless, automated operations.LinkedIn: ( www.linkedin.com/in/brett-kanda-78168583/ )Flock Safety Website: www.flocksafety.comwww.launchfirestorm.com/Timestamps:01:24 - The Biggest Surprise in a Decade of Drones01:50 - Why the DJI Monopoly Is Over02:56 - Welcome to Drone War 1: Lessons from Ukraine03:55 - The Threat of Nefarious Drones07:43 - Why the Next 10 Years are the Golden Years for Drones09:12 - When Drones Become Boring: The Future of Automation12:15 - The One Thing I Share with Tiger Woods13:50 - The #1 Piece of Advice for My Younger Self15:05 - Why Entrepreneurs Need to Be Good at Losing17:31 - How to Get Hired in the Drone Industry19:50 - Where to Find and Follow Brett Kanda20:02 - Outro#DroneWars #PublicSafety #DFR #FlockSafety #BrettKanda #CounterUAS #DroneIndustry #UAS #FutureOfWarfare #Entrepreneurship #CareerAdvice #VentureCapitalAbout Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry. 

In this episode of Drone Wars, host Dan Magy sits down with Brett Kanda, Director of DFR Sales at Flock Safety. Brett pulls back the curtain on the revolutionary "Drone as a First Responder" (DFR) program, explaining how automated drones are transforming law enforcement and public safety.Brett shares his unique journey from being one of the original pioneers in the drone industry back in 2012 to leading the charge in deploying DFR systems across the country. He reveals critical lessons learned from the early days of strapping GoPros to Phantom drones, working with the FAA, and scaling drone operations for public safety.Join us as we explore the massive technological shifts that are enabling police departments to respond to emergencies in under 90 seconds, clear a significant percentage of calls without dispatching an officer, and enhance transparency with their communities. Brett explains how this technology is no longer a futuristic fantasy but a practical solution being implemented today.LinkedIn: ( www.linkedin.com/in/brett-kanda-78168583/ )Flock Safety Website: www.flocksafety.comwww.launchfirestorm.com/Timestamps:00:00 - The Future of Law Enforcement01:10 - Introducing Brett Kanda, Head of Aviation at Flock Safety01:43 - A Friendship Forged in Diapers02:40 - The "Wild West" of the Early Drone Industry03:30 - From Golf Courses to Crime Fighting: The Evolution of a Drone Business04:15 - Learning the Ropes: From Film School to FAA Test Sites06:30 - Inside Look at a Global Drone Industry Leader08:00 - The Tragic Inspiration Behind a Public Safety Drone Company11:26 - What is "Drone as a First Responder" (DFR)?12:27 - Why Every Police Chief Wants DFR13:13 - The Surprising Stat: Clearing 25% of Calls with Drones18:01 - Gaining Community Trust for Police Drones19:15 - Is DFR Working? The 86-Second Response Time21:00 - DFR 1.0 vs 2.0: Removing the Human from the Rooftop22:48 - The Future is Now: What DFR 3.0 Looks Like24:00 - How Drones Are Ending High-Speed Chases26:22 - My Prediction for the Drone Industry in the Next Decade26:55 - Outro#DroneWars #PublicSafety #DFR #FlockSafety #BrettKanda #PoliceDrone #LawEnforcement #Robotics #AutonomousSystems #UAS #Drones #FirstResponders #Podcast #AI #FutureOfPolicingAbout Drone WarsThe Drone Wars Podcast serves the warfighters, builders and innovators who all share a common goal: get the best tech into the hands of those on the frontlines. Dan Magy, Co-Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, explores all things defense and geopolitics with experts in the industry.