For the Zoomies

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier winds down the show with a 100 episode recap. He goes into how the show started and how it evolved into what it is today, then candidly covers 8 themes that emerged throughout the past 99 episodes that he learned over the past 3 years. The themes are listed below:

• The worst career decisions are made with half the information

• A perfect record isn’t always a sign of great leadership. Sometimes, it’s a sign no one ever pushed back

• Every rule was written for a reason—the question is whether that reason still matters

• There are so many ways to contribute to national security, many of them are out of uniform

• You don’t need to launch a startup to think like an entrepreneur. Intrapreneurship is about building where you are

• It’s hard to judge your house until you’ve lived in someone else’s

• Finances aren’t just numbers—they’re narratives

• The goal isn’t to fly forever—it’s to make sure others can

Thanks again for all of the support over the years, this has been such a fun project to work on!

If you want to keep up with my substack, feel free to subscribe!

https://andrewcormier.substack.com/?r=5384d8&utm_campaign=pub-share-checklist

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with founder and CEO of the cyber insurance company Resilience V8 Hariprisad to discuss the ins and outs of aligning incentives within an organization and also knowing which rules are okay to break and which ones shouldn't be touched.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with founder of Phalanx Partners Dave Lam '11 to discuss micro private equity and how carrying the core values into the industry helps small business owners boost their businesses.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with China expert Brig Gen (R) Dave Stilwell to discuss more broadly the attack vectors China has on the U.S. way of life, and how despite their thoughtful plan, they lack the American Spirit.

We discuss IP theft, influence on Hollywood, the social credit score, currency debasement and debt, Uyghur slavery and forced labor, TikTok, surveillance, supply chain vulnerabilities, One Belt One Road, the military threat on Taiwan, and lots more.

Here are a few articles we pointed to during the discussion:

https://www.newsweek.com/enes-kanter-freedom-receives-human-rights-award-after-being-ousted-nba-1681761

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-08-13/car-legend-steve-saleens-china-venture-collapses

https://tnsr.org/2022/12/chinas-brute-force-economics-waking-up-from-the-dream-of-a-level-playing-field/

https://www.reuters.com/technology/intel-ceo-invested-hundreds-chinese-companies-some-with-military-ties-2025-04-10/

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Testing-Ernie-How-Baidu-s-AI-chatbot-stacks-up-to-ChatGPT

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with top AF Acquisition officer Lt Gen Dale White to discuss deterrence in acquisition, the future of procurement with venture capital playing a larger role in defense, and many more topics.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with current USAFA Dean Brig Gen Lindell Letendre to discuss the intersection of first principles thinking and leadership as well as the application of the widely disliked by cadets core curriculum.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with Naval Academy Graduate Nick Co to discuss the challenges he faced with getting out of the military and why he is building the Veteran Timeline, a tool that helps transitioning veterans get out of the military and into their next phase of life.

Its never too early to start preparing for the transition!

website linked here: https://www.veterantimeline.com

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with Language Enabled Airman Sarah Broadbent '13 to discuss her experience in the LEAP program and all the amazing experiences that came along with it.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with digital nomad Alex Lisot '11 to discuss his experience living all over the world, why its appealing to him, and how he makes it happen financially.

Host of FTZ Andrew Cormier sits down with Google Technical Program Manager Jazmin Furtado to discuss how she used her skills in ops research to create cool opportunties like working at SpaceX while still on active duty.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of the DoD or its components.

Andrew Cormier

Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-cormier-21841020b⁠

Jazmin Furtado

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jazminfurtado/