In Episode 16, we sit down with Rubi Liani, co-founder of XTEND, and go deeper into the path that led him there.

It starts far from what you might expect - flying RC planes as a kid, building intuition through curiosity, not a defined plan. From there, moving into the Navy and stepping into an environment shaped by responsibility, structure, and real decision-making under pressure.

What followed wasn’t a straight line. Together with Aviv Shapira, through the Israel Drone Racing League (FRIL), Rubi entered the world of gaming, building a company in a space where others, with more experience and resources, had already tried to solve similar problems.

Over time, that journey evolved into what we know today as XTEND.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• how early decisions shape long-term direction

• choosing the right people and building trust

• operating with limited resources while still moving forward

• and how seemingly unrelated experiences connect over time

We also dive into how that background led to rethinking how drone pilots are trained and not just building systems, but building capability.

This is not a story about a “perfect path.”
It’s about how different chapters come together, and only make sense in hindsight.

If you’re building, investing, or operating in defense tech, there’s a lot to take from this one.