Technology

Sourcery

Interviews with the top Investors, CEOs, & Founders

Latest Episodes:

Full Anduril R&D Tour: Matt Grimm, Co-Founder & COO Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Matt Grimm, Co-Founder & COO of Anduril, walks us through Anduril’s headquarters in Costa Mesa—a rare, and possibly first look, inside the physical systems that turn ideas into fielded products. We tour Building A, a 200,000 sq ft R&D facility with machine shop, composites, metrology, electronic warfare test environments, and a dev-test area designed to “break things” so the team can iterate faster.

Grimm explains how Anduril scaled from a ~5,000 sq ft former lost-luggage garage (with mold and no bathroom) to a global footprint of ~7,000 employees and roughly 34–35 offices, while ramping production and operations. We also get hands-on with key systems and platforms, including the Ghost Shark (XL-AUV) autonomous submarine program and Anduril’s distributed compute and command-and-control stack: Menace & Titan (in partnership with Palantir).

As COO, Grimm also lays out how the co-founders divide responsibilities at scale: Palmer Luckey drives new product concepts & CONOPS while serving as Anduril’s most visible public figure; Brian Schimpf, as CEO, sets strategy & evaluates global defense programs & timing; Trae Stephens leads investor relations & owns marketing and design (Ohio State, NASCAR); & Matt Grimm runs the operational core, from facilities & security to supply chain, production, logistics, & sustainment.

This is Part 2 of 4 of our interview series with Anduril’s Founders, in addition to our compiled video, check them all out!

Matt Grimm: https://x.com/mttgrmm

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

Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sourceryy⁠

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/7rvStMD9WFU

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.

Full Interview: Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf on $1B+ Revenue & Still Doubling Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Full Interview: Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder and CEO of Anduril, joins Sourcery to discuss the company’s scale, strategy, and position in the defense market. He outlines Anduril’s growth to roughly 7,000 employees, $1B+ in revenue with continued YoY doubling, and a reported $30.5B valuation (too low?), while addressing IPO speculation & these wild “fake SPVs.”

The conversation covers geopolitical instability, production constraints in the U.S. defense industrial base, and how the nearly $1 trillion defense budget is actually allocated to personnel, infrastructure, and sustainment, rather than new procurement. Schimpf draws on leadership lessons from Palantir, highlighting creativity, high agency (“Artisty & Meritocracy’), and long-term alignment with military needs.

Schimpf also explains Anduril’s expansion from early autonomous systems into a portfolio spanning autonomous aircraft, cruise missiles, electronic warfare, and networked sensing and command platforms, enabled by a shared software and hardware foundation built around Lattice. Emphasizing the company’s focus on a distributed, autonomous battlefield and the ability to rapidly field new capabilities.

FWIW: Spending time on Anduril’s campus ahead of the final interview of the day offered such a strong view into the scale and complexity of the organization Brian is leading. Walking through the facility and meeting with the founding team made the scope of Anduril’s operations very real, but also highlighted just how complementary their skill sets are and how that translates into execution at scale. And with that, I have concluded that given the company’s growth, momentum, & market position.. Anduril may still be undervalued.

Brian Schimpf: https://x.com/SchimpfBrian

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

Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sourceryy⁠

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube : https://youtu.be/P5dsb28UVec

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

Inside Anduril: Exclusive HQ Tour w/ Palmer Luckey, Brian Schimpf, Matt Grimm & Trae Stephens Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

This is a rare, behind-the-scenes walking tour & sit-down interview inside Anduril Industries, a $30.5B defense technology company that develops and sells autonomous systems, AI-powered software, and advanced hardware for military and security applications to protect US and allied forces.. one of the most consequential defense companies of this era.

In this Sourcery exclusive, we go inside Anduril’s headquarters and R&D facilities with the founding team: Palmer Luckey, Brian Schimpf, Matt Grimm, & Trae Stephens, to understand how modern defense technology is actually built.

We walk through:

Anduril’s R&D labs, machine shop, and test environments
Autonomous fighter aircraft (Fury) and manned-unmanned teaming
Fully autonomous submarines (Ghost Shark / Dive-XL)
Distributed command-and-control systems (Menace, Titan, Eagle Eye)
Arsenal-1, Anduril’s upcoming 5M sq ft hyperscale manufacturing campus in Ohio

And discuss:

Why manufacturing capacity is now deterrence
Where the nearly $1T U.S. defense budget actually goes
Why legacy procurement systems struggle with speed
How Anduril beat Boeing, Lockheed, and Northrop on next-gen fighter programs
The ethics of AI, autonomy, and Just War Theory
Why testing to failure is essential — and misunderstood
How global instability is reshaping defense spending worldwide

It’s a candid, technically deep, historically grounded conversation about war, factories, speed, ethics, and the future of deterrence, filmed inside one of the most closed, sensitive, and technologically advanced facilities in American industry.

Brian Schimpf: https://x.com/SchimpfBrian

Matt Grimm: https://x.com/mttgrmm

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

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

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

Sourcery: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sourceryy⁠

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/RBXXYpjs9TE

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

Misunderstood Power: Emil Michael on the Truth About the DoW & Defense Tech Dec 13, 2025

Show notes

With great honor, Mr. Emil Michael, the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering (USW(R&E)) and Chief Technology Officer for the Department of War (DoW), joins Sourcery in front of a F117 at the Reagan National Defense Forum 2025 to dispel common misconceptions about the DoW, modern defense technology, & the role of companies like Palantir, SpaceX, & Anduril.

Drawing on his unique path from hyperscaling Uber into a global technology company to now overseeing the DoW’s research, development, & prototyping enterprise, he breaks down how the system actually works behind the scenes.

He also outlines the DoW’s 6 Critical Technology Areas — Applied AI, Scaled Hypersonics, Scaled Directed Energy, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics, & Battlefield Information Dominance — and explains how these priorities reflect the realities of modern warfare rather than the myths often portrayed around the sector.

Bonus: Newer companies Emil Michael highlights as emerging leaders in defense innovation include Planet Labs for commercial satellite imagery, Neros as a next-generation drone company, Hadrian for AI-driven advanced manufacturing, and a broader group of frontier AI companies now engaging with the Department of War.

Emil Michael: https://x.com/emilmichael

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

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒

YouTube: https://youtu.be/6Lfst-RXX9k

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/data/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://www.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.

Why $300B of SaaS Revenue Is Trapped & How the $19.9T AI Agent Economy Unlocks It Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Manny Medina, Co-Founder & CEO of Paid and former CEO of $4.4B Sales Tech company, Outreach, hosts Sourcery at their HQ in London to discuss the early development of AI agents & what this shift means for software businesses.

Roughly $300 billion in SaaS revenue remains “trapped” in legacy pricing and delivery models. After scaling Outreach to 6,000 customers, 220,000 active users, and $250M in ARR, Manny saw firsthand that many SaaS monetization frameworks don’t fit agentic systems, which perform full end-to-end workflows rather than individual user-driven tasks. This gap led him to build Paid, the platform designed to help companies measure, price, & manage the economics of agents.

And it's working.. early customers have reported 20–40% revenue growth within six months of adopting the platform.

With $33.3M in total funding, Paid is backed by Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, EQT Ventures, GTM Fund, & FUSE.

Timestamps

(00:00) Why Manny built Paid after Outreach
(01:05) The $300B trapped revenue problem
(02:00) Why seat-based pricing breaks for AI agents
(03:10) How agents perform full end-to-end workflows
(04:00) Early use cases: support, ops, underwriting
(05:20) SaaS companies shifting to agentic models
(06:15) Pricing agents on outcomes, not seats
(07:10) Managing margins + model costs
(08:00) Founder-led sales and early GTM
(08:55) Why efficiency must start on day one
(09:40) Palantir-style, forward-deployed culture
(10:30) How Paid helps companies monetize agents
(11:20) Education needed for SaaS pricing change
(12:10) What the next 12–24 months look like for agents
(13:00) Manny’s outlook on the agentic economy

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

Inside General Catalyst’s $1.5B AI Roll-Up Machine Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

Marc Bhargava, Managing Director at General Catalyst and head of the firm’s Creation Strategy, breaks down one of the most significant shifts happening inside venture and private markets today: AI Roll-Ups.

One of the 3 largest venture players with ~$40B AUM, General Catalyst has quietly built a $1.5B AI roll-up engine dedicated to incubating AI-native companies & acquiring the fragmented services businesses they can transform — a model that sits directly at the intersection of venture creation, operational transformation, & what has traditionally been the realm of private equity.

Marc explains why the firm believes the global services economy (a $16 trillion market historically defined by low margins and slow modernization) is now on the verge of being reshaped. Not by traditional software, and not by classic PE rollups, but by AI-enabled companies that combine in-house automation software with the acquisition of real distribution. These companies, built initially inside GC’s Creation Strategy, have already begun doubling EBITDA margins within 12 months, demonstrating what becomes possible when AI automation frees 20–30% of repetitive tasks and allows teams to handle significantly greater throughput.

The conversation goes deep into how GC selects industries for this strategy, mapping 70 services categories down to the 10 where AI can have the most immediate impact. Marc outlines the 4 categories of work AI now reliably automates, from customer service and data entry to content generation and early-stage reasoning, and how those capabilities form the backbone of portfolio companies like Crescendo, Long Lake, Titan MSP, Eudia, & others.

Marc Bhargava: https://x.com/marcbhargava

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

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

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

What Travis Kalanick Taught Bradley Tusk, & Why He Closed His VC Fund Nov 29, 2025

Show notes

Bradley Tusk joins Sourcery to discuss what he learned working closely with Travis Kalanick during Uber’s early regulatory battles, and how those experiences shaped his decision to shut down his venture fund and return to an equity-for-services model.

Bradley explains why Travis was unusually fast, analytical, and willing to challenge institutions, and how that mindset influenced the way Uber approached politics and growth. He also breaks down how the current AI wave is affecting valuations, capital formation, data-center spending, and the broader regulatory environment.

The conversation covers the real economics of running a VC fund, why mid-sized funds struggle, how AI is reshaping startup incentives, and what founders should understand about regulation, policy, and long-term strategy. It’s a practical, grounded discussion from someone who has worked at the intersection of tech and government for over a decade.

Bradley Tusk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/btusk/

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

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

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/

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Intro

(01:25) How AI infrastructure spending is being driven by market narratives

(03:10) DeepSeek, inference models, and compute efficiency

(03:55) Where the $2T in AI data-center and energy capital is flowing

(07:10) Nuclear energy and the broader implications of AI’s power demand

(16:30) Zero-sum vs abundance thinking in tech and politics

(17:35) How people find meaning, purpose, and balance in high-pressure work

(27:00) Why Bradley invests heavily in his team and removes non-essential tasks

(32:00) How Bradley’s experience with Travis Kalanick shaped his view of founders

(32:35) “Travis’s Law” and turning users into political advocates

(37:05) Why Bradley decided to stop raising traditional VC funds

(44:30) The economics of mid-sized funds and why they’re so difficult to run

(49:20) How AI valuations differ from non-AI valuations

(54:40) What people misunderstand about Silicon Valley and DC

(59:40) AI, unemployment risk, and why Bradley believes UBI will be necessary

(01:05:50) The biggest lessons Bradley learned from Travis Kalanick

$635M Exit → $600M Fund: David Ulevitch on Building a16z’s Hottest New Fund Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

a16z General Partner David Ulevitch joins Sourcery to break down the real state of American Dynamism, their $600M fund, across defense, energy, mining, robotics, manufacturing, public safety, and national security.

We discuss America’s supply-chain exposure to China, why deterrence—not parity—defines the future of U.S. defense, and how new companies are rebuilding core capabilities in nuclear, missiles, autonomy, grid reliability, materials, mining, and industrial operations.

David highlights key a16z portfolio companies including Anduril, Radiant Nuclear, Base Power, Exowatt, Apex, Skydio, Flock, Long Eye, and Mariana Minerals, and shares why the best founders are magnetic attractors of capital and talent.

We also dive into Anduril’s authenticity-first marketing philosophy (“no renders” - Palmer Luckey), the “Don’t Work at Anduril” campaign led by Snap Alumn Jeff Miller, the importance of real test footage, and why mission-driven cultures are fueling the next generation of frontier companies.

A broad, detailed look at the future of American reindustrialization and the companies shaping it.

Select Portfolio Companies & Areas:

• AI: Applied Intuition, Ambient AI

• Defense: Anduril, Saronic, Shield AI, Castelion,

• Energy: Radiant, Base Power, Exowatt, RigUp

• Aerospace: SpaceX, Apex, Northwood, Aerodome, Air Space Intelligence (ASI), Astro Mechanica, Astranis

• Manufacturing: Hadrian, Senra

• Public Safety: Flock Safety, Long Eye, Skydio

• Supply Chain: Zipline, Flexport,

• Minerals: Mariana Materials, KoBold Metals

David Ulevitch: https://x.com/davidu

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

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

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/

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) America’s supply-chain vulnerability

(03:28) Most investable wedges: robotics, automation & lights-out factories

(04:11) Rebuilding U.S. minerals & mining capacity (lithium, copper, steel)

(04:29) Applying software to legacy sectors (lumber, metals, production)

(05:20) Energy: Radiant’s microreactor & first new U.S. design in 50+ years

(06:23) Grid resiliency & storage: Base Power, Exowatt

(07:12) Defense innovation: Anduril, Saronic, Castelion

(08:28) Public safety tech: Flock Safety, Long Eye & Skydio

(13:30) Anduril’s “no renders” rule & authentic product culture

(14:27) Inside the “Don’t Work at Anduril” campaign

(19:11) Talent density: references, hiring, firing & magnetic teams

(20:45) Lessons from building OpenDNS: reinvention, team rebuilds & decade-long “overnight success”

(26:00) Kalshi’s growth & future of prediction markets

Why Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, & David Ulevitch Launched American Dynamism Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

David Ulevitch, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), who co-leads the firm’s American Dynamism practice with Katherine Boyle joins Sourcery to break down America’s comeback. With the encouragement of Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, the $600M fund was founded around 2020 to invest in companies that support the national interest: aerospace, defense, public safety, education, housing, supply chain, industrials, and manufacturing.

David shares how American Dynamism evolved from a meme to a movement within a16z, inspired by Marc and Ben’s early conviction at Netscape that the next wave of great technology companies would serve the national interest.

From early investments like Anduril, Flock Safety, and Hadrian, to a16z’s growing policy arm in Washington D.C., David reveals how the firm is bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and the national mission, and why he believes private capital must lead the next American resurgence.

We discuss:

The story behind American Dynamism’s rise
The private capital boom powering national resilience
JP Morgan’s $1.5T “Security & Resiliency” initiative
AI’s role across defense, logistics, and manufacturing
Why venture capital must “fund freedom like our lives depend on it.”

Key Points

Why Marc & Ben backed David & Katherine for a national mission. American Dynamism was born from the belief that Silicon Valley’s greatest founders should again build for the public good, across defense, energy, manufacturing, & more.
From meme to $600M fund. What began as a thesis between David Ulevitch and Katherine Boyle became a $600M dedicated fund and a defining pillar of a16z’s vision for national resilience.
Private capital is America’s new resource. a16z’s model funds R&D independently while enabling the government to buy finished products, accelerating innovation & cutting red tape.
AI is reshaping the foundations. From Anduril’s Eagle Eye headset to swarm drones and AI-powered logistics, technology is redefining how America powers, protects, and scales.
The reindustrialization flywheel is spinning. With JP Morgan’s $1.5T initiative and growing investor conviction, national resilience is no longer niche, it’s a generational investment frontier.

David Ulevitch: https://x.com/davidu

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

Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc

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

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

https://www.sourcery.vc/

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) David Ulevitch

(01:54) The origin story of American Dynamism

(05:23) Why Marc Andreessen & Ben Horowitz backed the idea early

(03:30) Partnering with Katherine Boyle, from rivals to co-leads

(06:14) From meme to movement

(07:00) Why venture returns exist in defense, energy, & infrastructure

(07:11) The new supply-and-demand moment for American industry

(11:00) Building a policy bridge between D.C. & Silicon Valley

(15:29) Fixing defense procurement, the “bake-off” model

(17:15) Private capital as America’s innovation engine

(20:02) JP Morgan’s $1.5T commitment & what it signals

(20:30) China, supply chains, & the race for energy independence

(22:12) The new late-stage capital environment for defense tech

(24:05) How AI is transforming defense, logistics, and public safety

(27:42) Closing reflections, why Marc, Ben, & David see this as a generational project

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir: Exclusive Interview Inside PLTR Office Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir, joins Molly O’Shea for a rare look inside Palantir (physically, inside their office). We go deep into their values, vision, and the moral foundation of technology in the AI era.

Fresh off Palantir’s record-breaking earnings, nearly hitting a $500 billion market-cap milestone, and the release of a new biography The Philosopher in the Valley, this episode explores how Palantir evolved from an outsider idea into one of the world’s most influential software companies.

Karp breaks down how Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) has become the operating system for the AI era – shortening sales cycles and giving companies premium analytical and decision-making capabilities. Today, AIP is helping U.S. defense, industrial, manufacturing, and commercial enterprises compete to win the global AI race.

Reflecting on the artistry behind innovation, Karp also describes how creating products at Palantir mirrors the creative process itself.. tapping into ideas ahead of their time, resisting conformity, and building with conviction over consensus. He explains how his lifelong dyslexia shaped a non-linear approach to thinking, decision-making, and leadership, allowing him to build a company that thrives on meritocracy, intuition, and rapid iteration instead of rigid hierarchy.

And more importantly, amid a severely unpredictable AI boom, Karp argues that Palantir’s purpose is bigger than software. It’s about helping Americans win, from empowering soldiers and engineers to giving “venture-style returns to retail investors” and “private-equity outcomes to enterprise clients.” The conversation connects philosophy and business, revealing how Palantir’s DNA: equal parts artistry, pragmatism, and moral clarity, has produced one of the most resilient and valuable companies of the 21st century.

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

⁠Sourcery: ⁠https://x.com/sourceryvc⁠

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

⁠⁠Kalshi⁠⁠—The largest prediction market and the only legal platform in the US where people can trade directly on the outcomes of future events: ⁠⁠https://kalshi.com/sourcery⁠⁠

Follow Sourcery for the latest updates!

⁠⁠https://www.sourcery.vc/⁠

𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒

(00:00) Inside Palantir with Alex Karp

(00:01) Early days & Palantir’s outsider beginnings

(02:16) Building without hierarchy — the anti-playbook culture

(05:00) Artistry & conviction in product creation

(06:45) Ignoring consensus & betting on vision

(08:45) Helping Americans win — soldiers, workers, investors

(11:00) Moral conviction & the foundation of Palantir

(13:00) Meritocracy, realism, & Western values

(15:41) The Eisenhower Award & moral leadership