Technology

Sourcery

Interviews with the top Investors, CEOs, & Founders

Latest Episodes:

Snowflake vs Databricks: The AI Data War | CEO of $SNOW Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

Snowflake CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy joins Sourcery to discuss Snowflake’s long-term path toward iconic scale, drawing on his firsthand experience scaling Google Ads from ~$1.6B to ~$100B+ in revenue — including the moment Eric Schmidt challenged his team to write a $100B revenue plan as a thought experiment in compounding growth.

Rather than declaring a Snowflake revenue target, Sridhar explains how sustained ~30–35% compound growth, discipline, and execution can transform a company over time — and how Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) is positioning itself in the AI data platform arms race to build toward that level of impact.

We cover:

Snowflake’s role in the AI supercycle
Competing with Databricks, hyperscalers, and frontier AI platforms
Scaling ambitions inspired by Eric Schmidt
Lessons from Frank Slootman’s leadership and Sutter Hill’s influence
The strategic logic behind the Observe acquisition
IPO lessons from one of the largest software debuts in history
And Sridhar’s personal “monk mode” operating style — optimizing for focus, discipline, and long-term execution

This episode is about compounding growth, enterprise AI, and what it takes to build a truly iconic company over decades.

Sridhar Ramaswamy: https://x.com/RamaswmySridhar

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊

YT: https://youtu.be/1ahhYmSFShQ

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. https://turing.com/sourcery

• Deel—Deel is the global people platform that helps startups hire, manage, pay, and equip anyone, anywhere. Trusted by more than 35,000 fast-growing companies, Deel is the people platform that just works, so teams can scale without the chaos. Visit: https://www.deel.com/sourcery

• Public–Investing platform Public just launched Generated Assets, which lets you turn any idea into an investable index with AI. With Generated Assets, you can build, backtest, refine, and invest in any thesis with AI. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all ETFs. https://public.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

Paid Endorsement. Brokerage services by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC-registered adviser. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC, licensed by the NYSDFS. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.

Full Zipline Factory Tour: How a $7.6B Company Builds Drones Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton gives Molly a rare full tour inside Zipline’s factory + HQ—including the ROCC (Remote Operating Command Center), live flight monitoring, the HITL hardware-in-the-loop simulator lab, reliability testing, and the production line.

DISCLAIMER: This is a LIVE factory, it is noisy, audio can be inconsistent at times. Enjoy :)

Watch our full sit-down interview with Keller for more information behind their latest $7.6B valuation & financing round.

Zipline is nearing 2,000,000 total deliveries and operates what Keller describes as a global system where “every one of those aircraft is out making delivery somewhere in the world.” The company says it has achieved 125 million commercial autonomous miles with zero safety incident, and it’s scaling fast: ~15% week-over-week growth with operations running ~17 hours/day today and moving toward 24/7.

Inside the ROCC, Keller walks through how Zipline manages fleet oversight at scale, including FAA approval to fly at ratios of “one human to 30 aircraft” (and pushing beyond that). He also shares site ramp dynamics: the first Dallas site took ~110 days to reach 100 deliveries/day, while newer sites can hit 100 deliveries/day in ~2 days—and in some cities Zipline says 50%+ of homes are ordering.

On the engineering side, Zipline’s HQ team spans autonomy, powertrain, safety/reliability, systems test, embedded, mechanical, and industrialization—part of a workforce of ~1,300 people, including ~800 in the U.S., with “more than half” in engineering. Keller also explains Zipline’s Tesla-like approach to vertical integration: designing core systems in-house (including motors) and even building internal manufacturing software—“the only other companies…that do that…Tesla.”

You’ll see how Zipline maintains high engineering velocity while prioritizing safety: a major global software update every six weeks (typically ~60 bug fixes and ~25–30 performance improvements), tested across simulation and real-world flights before rolling out over-the-air.

Keller R. Cliffton: https://x.com/Keller

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊

YT: https://youtu.be/_qbbwichFIk

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure
Paid Endorsement. Brokerage services by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC-registered adviser. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC, licensed by the NYSDFS. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.

Zipline Raises $600M+ at $7.6B Valuation | CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo Cliffton joins Sourcery from Zipline’s drone factory to break down the company’s $600M+ funding round at a $7.6B valuation, a clear step up from Zipline’s ~$5B valuation in 2024, as the company enters a major U.S. and global scaling phase.

The round includes participation from leading investors Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, and Tiger Global, underwriting Zipline’s expansion across manufacturing capacity, fleet CapEx, and metro-level infrastructure as demand accelerates.

Zipline has now surpassed 2 million commercial deliveries and flown 125M+ commercial autonomous miles, making it the world’s largest autonomous delivery system. The company operates on four continents, serves 5,000+ hospitals and health facilities, and delivers food, retail, and healthcare products directly to customers’ homes in minutes. Zipline’s zero-emission aircraft have delivered more than 20 million items with no serious injuries and are saving 10,000+ lives per year in the process.

In the U.S., Zipline is scaling at exceptional speed. U.S. deliveries have grown by approximately 15% week over week for the last seven months, and Keller shares that Zipline now does more deliveries in the United States than the rest of the world combined. In Dallas, Zipline’s first site took 10 weeks to reach 100 deliveries per day, while newer sites reached that same volume in just 2 days—a clear signal the system is moving from early adoption to everyday infrastructure.

We also cover Zipline’s upcoming launches in Houston and Phoenix, where customers will soon be able to order tens of thousands of items with deliveries arriving in as little as 10 minutes, Zipline’s vertically integrated manufacturing strategy, and why Keller believes autonomous, on-demand logistics will soon be the norm across multiple U.S. states.

Keller R. Cliffton : https://x.com/Keller

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊

YouTube: https://youtu.be/sF5Ocop7A_I

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

I Tried Flying an Air Taxi With Archer’s CEO (Midnight Simulator) Jan 17, 2026

Show notes

Adam Goldstein, Founder & CEO of Archer Aviation (NYSE: ACHR) gives Sourcery a full behind-the-scenes of Archer’s HQ.

In this conversation, Adam breaks down what Archer is building (a new category of aviation), why regulatory and political support matters, and how they’re thinking about scaling from early city deployments to a truly global aircraft business. We also get into why retail investors and Reddit became a major part of Archer’s story, and the market-sizing framework behind “20 aircraft x 1,000 markets.”

One part of Archer’s progress that’s very impressive are their significant defense and strategic technology partnerships, including Anduril (hybrid VTOL and unmanned rotorcraft concepts), Palantir (AI and data infrastructure for manufacturing, operations, and airspace systems), its role as the exclusive air taxi provider for the LA 2028 Olympics, and its early expansion partnerships across the UAE.

Plus, I try the simulators: first a helicopter-style experience (chaos), then Archer’s Midnight fly-by-wire system (way easier, way more fun).

Archer was the first sponsor of Sourcery ever, so it was special to get a full tour!

Topics we cover:

What Archer is and how eVTOL air taxis work
The “first new category in aviation in 60 years” and what it takes to unlock it
LA28 Olympics and the path from now to 2028
EIPP and flying in US cities as soon as next year
Defense market shift toward autonomy at scale and Archer’s partnerships
Going public early, Boeing conflict, and the role of retail liquidity
Why Adam thinks this can become a $100B+ business (and eventually bigger)

Adam Goldstein: ⁠https://x.com/adamgoldstein13⁠

Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠

Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sourceryy⁠

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube : ⁠https://youtu.be/kohPqi123-s⁠

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• ⁠Brex⁠—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. ⁠https://brex.com/sourcery⁠

• ⁠Turing⁠—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. ⁠https://turing.com/sourcery⁠

• ⁠Deel⁠—Deel is the global people platform that helps startups hire, manage, pay, and equip anyone, anywhere. Trusted by more than 35,000 fast-growing companies, Deel is the people platform that just works, so teams can scale without the chaos. Visit: ⁠https://www.deel.com/sourcery⁠

• ⁠Public⁠–Investing platform Public just launched ⁠Generated Assets⁠, which lets you turn any idea into an investable index with AI. With Generated Assets, you can build, backtest, refine, and invest in any thesis with AI. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all ETFs. https://⁠public.com/sourcery⁠

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

⁠https://www.sourcery.vc/⁠

DisclosurePaid Endorsement. Brokerage services by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC-registered adviser. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC, licensed by the NYSDFS. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at ⁠public.com/disclosures/ga⁠. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.

CEO Vlad Tenev on Robinhood's Record Year (+200%, ~$100B Market Cap) Jan 10, 2026

Show notes

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev joins Molly O’Shea from Robinhood HQ to break down the company’s record year and what powered its growth.

Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) stock opened 2025 under $40/share and ended the year around $113/share, a ~200% annual gain, pushing the company to roughly $120B in market capitalization. But as Vlad explains, the bigger story is under the hood.

Today, Robinhood has 11 separate business lines generating $100M+ in annual revenue (!!), including prediction markets, margin, Gold subscriptions, cash sweep, crypto, and institutional infrastructure via Bitstamp. Vlad walks through Robinhood’s three long-term arcs: becoming #1 for active traders, owning wallet share for the next generation, and expanding globally into business and institutional markets.

The conversation spans:

Prediction markets as a new supercycle (sports, weather, insurance)
Tokenized stocks and 24/7 trading in Europe
Reinventing earnings calls as live, interactive experiences
Unlocking private markets and AI companies for retail investors
Robinhood Cortex, an AI financial assistant with full portfolio context
Why retail investors today look very different than in 2021

This is a deep look at how Robinhood matured alongside its users — and how Vlad thinks about the next decade of finance.

Vlad Tenev:Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/7cvVgxJYb-I

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Deel—Deel is the global people platform that helps startups hire, manage, pay, and equip anyone, anywhere. Trusted by more than 35,000 fast-growing companies, Deel is the people platform that just works, so teams can scale without the chaos. Visit: https://www.deel.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

David Senra on the Founders Who Never Quit Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

David Senra joins Sourcery for a candid conversation about the founders he’s spent nearly a decade studying, and why time, not intelligence or hype, is the only filter that actually matters. As the creator of Founders, Senra has read and analyzed hundreds of biographies of history’s most consequential builders, looking for the recurring patterns behind people who don’t just succeed once, but keep going for decades.

That work led directly to his new show, David Senra. What makes the format unusual is that these aren’t traditional interviews and they aren’t random guests, they’re conversations. And the people David sits down with are often longtime listeners of Founders, super-fans of the ideas, books, and lessons his audience already cares about, who apply those lessons at an extraordinary level. The result is a rare alignment where the guests and the audience share the same reference points.

In this episode, Senra reflects on conversations with founders he’s spoken with directly, including Michael Dell, Brad Jacobs, James Dyson, Michael Ovitz, & Daniel Ek, alongside the long arc of figures he’s studied deeply on Founders such as Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs, & Walt Disney. Across all of them, the common thread is durability: staying in the same game long enough for compounding to work.

Rather than focusing on startups, exits, or fundraising cycles, this conversation centers on why most founders disappear, their biggest & most common regrets, how self-sabotage ends more careers than competition, and why the best builders treat problems as puzzles instead of crises.

It’s a discussion about building something you can stay with for life, & why the rarest outcome in business isn’t success, but longevity.

David Senra: https://x.com/davidsenra

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/RVdwU711kP0

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

DreamWorks & the Science of Storytelling | Jeffrey Katzenberg & ChenLi Wang, WndrCo Dec 29, 2025

Show notes

Jeffrey Katzenberg & ChenLi Wang join Sourcery for a deep, candid conversation on how WndrCo was built, and how they think about investing, company-building, and storytelling in the age of AI.

Katzenberg reflects on his third act after Disney & DreamWorks, tracing a lifelong pattern of using technology as a competitive advantage for storytelling. ChenLi shares how scaling Dropbox shaped his views on product craft, distribution, and why benchmarks often fail to capture what actually makes great companies.

Together, they break down WndrCo’s hybrid model spanning builds, venture, and seed investing, and discuss how that framework has led them to back category-defining companies including 1Password, Airtable, Harvey, Abridge, Granola, and Deel — as well as internally built platforms across consumer security, health, and the future of work.

They unpack why WndrCo sometimes chooses to build companies from scratch rather than invest, how they deploy capital across stages, and why real differentiation today comes from product obsession, storytelling, and hands-on operating support, not capital alone.

The conversation also dives into the state of venture capital, the coming AI reckoning, what happens after $700B+ in hyperscaler capex, and why only companies delivering visible ROI and real adoption will survive the next cycle.

Jeffrey Katzenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-katzenberg-4b3b47123/

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/8ZpodkQ0rn8

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Welcome to Sourcery at WndrCo

(01:43) What Actually Changed in AI in 2025

(03:26) When AI Hype Meets Real Productivity

(05:01) Is an AI Bubble About to Burst?

(05:59) Companies WndrCo Is Most Excited About

(09:02) The Origin Story of WndrCo

(09:45) Technology as a Storytelling Advantage

(12:55) Why Katzenberg Chose Venture as a Third Act

(17:12) From Holding Company to Venture Platform

(18:56) How WndrCo Decides to Build vs Invest

(22:29) Why Longevity Became a New Build Theme

(26:33) "Good Storytelling, Bad Outcomes"

(29:57) What Actually Differentiates WndrCo as an Investor

(35:57) Why Benchmarks Fail in the AI Era

(40:16) How WndrCo Invests: Build, Venture, Seed

Why Lightspeed Bet on xAI, Neuralink, Suno, Granola, & Pika | Michael Mignano Dec 27, 2025

Show notes

Michael Mignano, Partner at $30B VC firm Lightspeed, and the co-founder of Anchor, a podcast creation, hosting, and monetization platform acquired by Spotify in 2019, joins Sourcery to discuss the next era of creation & technology investing.

In this episode, Michael shares how his background building consumer media products informs the way he invests today, with a focus on AI and creativity-driven companies. We discuss his portfolio, including investments in xAI, Neuralink, Suno, Pika, Granola, and Macroscope, and how he evaluates AI businesses when incumbents can move quickly.

The conversation digs into what makes AI companies defensible today, from retention-driven moats to why ARR metrics can be misleading. Michael shares his reaction to the Sora launch and avatars, and what these changes could mean for creators.

We also touch on evolving early-stage check sizes, lessons from Spotify’s Daniel Ek, his work on Obo, and thoughts on potential IPO candidates.

Michael Mignano: https://x.com/mignano

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube : https://youtu.be/m0lZ3JdZw7s

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Michael Mignano

(01:06) Anchor’s pivot & podcasting’s breakout moment

(02:32) Spotify’s Talk org: podcasts, video, and live audio

(02:55) Why synchronous (live) formats fail online

(03:27) Joining Lightspeed & portfolio overview

(03:47) Investment thesis: creativity, product taste, founders

(05:24) How xAI & Neuralink fit Lightspeed’s strategy

(06:56) Is OpenAI “Sherlocking” ?

(08:37) Granola & retention as the real AI moat

(09:52) Why ARR can be FAKE in AI startups

(11:20) Seed vs Series A check sizes & AI valuation premiums

(19:34) Sora, avatars, recommendation media, & creator economics

(33:37) Oboe: AI education & human intelligence

(40:01) Lessons from Daniel Ek & Spotify’s long-term strategy

(42:55) IPO predictions & what comes next

Palmer Luckey on UFOs, Anduril, Invisibility Tech, & Moon Wars Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Palmer Luckey, Co-Founder of Anduril, joins Sourcery for an unfiltered walk through some of the most controversial & speculative questions in modern defense technology, from UAPs and UFOs to invisibility tech, moon warfare, and why all of it may be running on parallel tracks to today’s human military development.

Luckey breaks down what war would actually look like in space and on the moon, why spacecraft are nearly impossible to armor, and why survival off-Earth is so fragile that conflict would be “decisive and catastrophic.” He also explains Anduril’s real work on optical camouflage, why visible-spectrum invisibility is easier than people think, and why it’s largely irrelevant against modern adversaries armed with infrared, radar, and lidar.

The conversation moves from the serious to the personal: Palmer’s blunt take on media coverage and testing failures, his belief that UAPs are likely not recently manufactured, his side project ModRetro (from an heirloom-grade Game Boy to the upcoming M64), and how becoming a father has—and hasn’t—changed his long-term worldview.

Equal parts speculative, technical, and philosophical, this episode captures the mind of a founder who’s comfortable operating at the edge of science, industry, and culture.

Palmer Luckey: https://x.com/PalmerLuckey

Molly O’Shea: https://x.com/MollySOShea

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryy

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube : https://youtu.be/WEGJh-4Iq30

𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐒

• Brex—The modern finance platform, combining the world’s smartest corporate card with integrated expense management, banking, bill pay, & travel. https://brex.com/sourcery

• Turing—Turing delivers top-tier talent, data, and tools to help AI labs improve model performance—and enables enterprises to turn those models into powerful, production-ready systems. https://turing.com/sourcery

• Carta—Carta connects founders, investors, and limited partners through software purpose-built for private capital. Trusted by 65,000+ companies in 160+ countries, Carta’s platform of software & services lays the groundwork so you can build, invest, and scale with confidence. https://carta.com/sourcery/?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=sourcery&utm_campaign=20250923-amer-carta_sourcery_data_insights

• Public–Investing platform Public just launched Generated Assets, which lets you turn any idea into an investable index with AI. With Generated Assets, you can build, backtest, refine, and invest in any thesis with AI. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all ETFs. https://public.com/sourcery

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

Disclosure

Paid Endorsement. Brokerage services by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Advisory services by Public Advisors LLC, SEC-registered adviser. Crypto trading provided by Zero Hash LLC, licensed by the NYSDFS. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time.

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Palmer Luckey, Co-Founder Anduril

(01:26) Fury: The first autonomous fighter jet

(04:28) Anduril testing failures & Press heat

(11:47) What would war look like on the Moon?

(14:28) Invisible drones & Why camouflaging isn't useful

(18:47) UAPs are from the past?

(22:16) Seabed Sentry, Sentry Tower & Ocean surveillance

(24:44) Shipbuilding gap with China & Why ships matter

(27:18) Palmer's garage projects: Jet engine motorcycle

(30:43) Lessons from fatherhood?

(32:17) The next big step for Anduril

Inside Anduril HQ: Trae Stephens on Anduril’s Origin, Peter Thiel, & Palantir DNA Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Trae Stephens, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Anduril, & Partner at Founders Fund, joins Sourcery for a behind-the-scenes conversation on Anduril’s 2017 founding, when defense tech was deeply unpopular in Silicon Valley, the cultural shift that followed, and how software, autonomy, manufacturing scale, and ethics now converge in modern warfare and national security.

Stephens explains Anduril’s core thesis: software-defined, hardware-enabled, and why the company is building a multi-domain autonomy strategy across sea, ground, air, and space. He also outlines the manufacturing view that “the factory is the weapon,” including Anduril’s expansion into scaled production with Arsenal-1 (a planned ~5 million sq ft campus near Columbus, Ohio) and a broader network of facilities and partners.

The conversation also covers ethics and strategy: Stephens discusses Just War Theory (St. Augustine), the goal of increasing precision while removing humans from “dull, dirty, dangerous” roles, and the broader cultural shifts shaping America. He reflects on lessons from Palantir and Founders Fund, including Peter Thiel’s influence, concentration in venture, and “zero-to-one” strategy, and shares what he looks for when investing in founders.

Trae Stephens: https://x.com/traestephens

Molly O’Shea: ⁠https://x.com/MollySOShea⁠

Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sourceryy⁠

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube : https://youtu.be/9Fdq1TShG2w

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Trae Stephens, Co-founder & Executive Chairman Anduril

(01:03) Rise of defense tech & Pete Hegseth visit

(03:58) Origin of Anduril & James Bond dreams

(05:18) Anduril's multi-domain defense strategy

(06:42) China's subsidies & US government investments

(08:46) "Factory is the weapon" & re-industrialization

(10:30) Arsenal-1 Ohio factory

(13:44) What people get wrong about Anduril

(17:08) Biggest Lesson from Palantir

(19:04) Just War theory & defense ethics

(22:16) Cultural shift from AI slop to good quests

(23:49) How Anduril is building “Apple for defense”

(27:03) Founders Fund investments: Varda, Armada, Cognition, General Matter

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