Mission Matters Podcast

After a 6 month lapse, the SBIR program is officially back following Congressional reauthorization.

In this episode of the Mission Matters podcast, we sit down with Chris Benson, the CTO of Istari Digital and an Air Force acquisition pioneer who was one of the architects behind the modernization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program during his time at AFWERX.

We discuss:

• How SBIR evolved from a slow, lab-driven R&D program into a real commercialization pathway

• Why Open Topic and TACFI/STRATFI changed the game for venture-backed defense startups

• What the new Strategic Breakthrough Awards mean for scaling to production

• Why founders need to think about Phase III and production contracts from day one

• How proposal caps, foreign due diligence, and other new rules could reshape the program going forward

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.

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

This episode of the Mission Matters podcast features a conversation between Shield Capital Managing Partner Philip Bilden and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (ret.) on recent U.S. strikes on Venezuela. This episode covers everything from:

• The operational complexity of modern joint warfare and the role of commercial technology

• Why Venezuela has become a strategic linchpin in the Western Hemisphere

• What the operation signals to China, Russia, and other adversaries about U.S. resolve and deterrence.

• And more!

As always, please let us know your thoughts, and please let us know if you or anyone you know is building at the intersection of national security and commercial technology. Tune in next month for our next episode!

What does it take to build a serious profitable, sustainable, scaled defense tech startup? In the newest episode of the Mission Matters podcast David and I sit down with John Serafini, the CEO and founder of HawkEye 360 and a partner at Shield Capital, to discuss what it took to grow HawkEye into a profitable company with:

🛰️ 30+ satellites on orbit

💰 Nine-figures of ARR

🤝 Customers across the U.S. government and allied nations

In this episode, we unpack:

🔹 What it means to “build a serious company” in defense tech

🔹 Why trust, humility, and sustainability matter more than hype

🔹 The realities of working in classified environments

🔹 Lessons from the SPAC boom, capital discipline, and profitability

🔹 Where the real white spaces in space tech still exist

🔹 How to partner effectively with defense primes (without fear-mongering)

This conversation is a must-listen for founders, operators, investors, and policymakers building at the intersection of commercial innovation, space, and national security, and includes some hot takes from John as well.

As always, please reach out if you or anyone you know is building at the intersection of national security and commercial markets. And please make sure to subscribe to the Mission Matters podcast to hear more stories of what it takes to build at the intersection of national security and commercial markets.

KEYWORDS

Hawkeye 360,radio frequency, satellite technology, national security, commercial space,signal intelligence, defense technology, space startups, classified customers,international markets, ITAR compliance, defense primes, profitability,fundraising strategy.

Chapters

The Warfighter Is the SunWhy startups must design around the customer, not themselves

What Hawkeye 360 Actually Does (RF from Space)Commercial signals intelligence, explained simply

From West Point to Founder & InvestorJohn Serafini’s background and path to building Hawkeye 360

“Just Build a Serious Company”The advice that shaped Hawkeye’s operating philosophy

Trust, Humility, and SustainabilityThe three principles every defense tech startup must internalize

SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and What Great Looks LikeLessons from the most successful space companies

Is It Easier to Work with DoD Today?How the defense innovation environment has changed since 2015

The RDT&E Trap and the Valley of DeathWhy too many startups get stuck at TRL 4–6

Buy What We Can, Build What We MustWhat’s actually different in today’s defense procurement climate

The SPAC Boom: Lessons LearnedWhy many space SPACs struggled—and what founders should avoid

Turning Academic IP into a Scaled Space CompanyHow Hawkeye 360 spun out of Virginia Tech research

Building for Classified CustomersWhy practitioner insight and trust matter more than clever tech

In-Q-Tel, Clearances, and Market EntryHow startups should realistically approach the IC

Partnering with Defense Primes (Without Fear)Why primes aren’t the enemy—and how they can accelerate impact

ITAR, International Sales, and Allied CustomersHow Hawkeye built a global business despite regulatory hurdles

Scaling a Space Hardware CompanyThe hidden challenges of moving from first launch to constellation

Capital Discipline and Just-in-Time GrowthAvoiding overhead traps while scaling responsibly

When Should Hardware Startups Focus on Profitability?Why growth and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive

What John Looks for as an InvestorHow he evaluates early-stage space and defense tech startups

Tech That Fell Short of ExpectationsWhy optical communications still haven’t scaled as expected

White Spaces in Space TechOn-orbit processing, data relay, and future opportunities

Who Really Determines Success?The overlooked role of policymakers and appropriators

Final Thoughts: Building for Missions That MatterWhy discipline, trust, and seriousness define enduring companies

What does the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) mean for tech startups? Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2026 NDAA, and the United States Senate is set to vote later this week.

🎧 Introducing the Techquisition Edition — a new sub-series of the Mission Matters Podcast, where David and I break down major defense acquisition news and explain what it means for technology startups building for the national security mission.

Our very first Techquisition Edition episode just dropped (link in comments). In this inaugural conversation, we dive into the NDAA’s most impactful provisions for companies working with—or hoping to work with—the United States Department of War. We cover:

👉 How the NDAA codifies SECWAR Pete Hegseth’s acquisition reform agenda

🛰️ New guidance accelerating DoW adoption of commercial space capabilities

🚀 What the NDAA signals about Golden Dome

🚨 Key proposals that did not make it into the bill

⚡ And much more...

As always, please let us know your thoughts, and please reach out if you or anyone you know is building in the national security domain.

Keywords: NDAA, Tech Startups, Acquisition Reform, Defense Innovation, Commercial Space, AI, Military Spending, National Security, Golden Dome, Defense Modernization

Chapters

Introduction to Techquisition and NDAA Overview

Understanding the NDAA and Its Importance

Acquisition Reform and Its Impact on Startups

Commercial Space and the Future of Defense

Golden Dome and Missile Defense Initiatives

Changes in the Defense Innovation Unit

AI and Its Role in the NDAA

Wins and Losses for Startups in the NDAA

Notable Provisions and Advice for Startups

In this episode of the Mission Matters podcast, Akhil and Maggie sit down with Andrew Puryear, the CTO of L3Harris, the 6th largest U.S. defense prime, to discuss L3Harris's "trusted disruptor strategy." As part of this strategy, L3Harris partners with startups to bring cutting edge capabilities to the warfighter. We cover:

- How startups should approach working with large primes

- What lessons the U.S. should (and shouldn't) be learning from the war in Ukraine

- The role AI, electronic warfare, air and missile defense, and more will have on future battlefields

- And much more

As always, please reach out if you or anyone you know is building in the national security startup space.