Pirate Wires

10 Rules Every Founder Should Know: Inside Anduril’s Secret Comms Strategy w/ Lulu Cheng Meservey and Trae Stepens

Mar 6, 2024

Explore the effective comms strategy of Anduril with insights from Lulu Cheng Meservey and Trae Stephens. Learn about the 10 rules that shaped Anduril's success, how to navigate PR challenges, and the importance of building your audience. Discover the secrets behind founder communication strategies and the power of repeating the mission consistently.

01:10:16

Creator website

Episode guests

Lulu Cheng Meservey

Trae Stephens

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Crafting a clear mission empowers communication strategy for aligned team goals.

In hostile environments, effective communication is vital for unconventional ventures' success.

Starting communication internally builds a foundation for external messaging and cohesive narratives.

Deep dives

Establishing a Clear Mission: Building Weapons at Andrew

When joining Andrew, individuals are signing up to build weapons, establishing a clear mission for everyone involved. The company's focus on creating a cohesive vision ensures that team members are aligned on the goal and understand the purpose of their work. This clarity in mission empowers the communication strategy, allowing for a direct and unified approach towards their endeavors.

Aligning Perception with Business Goals

01:21

Leadership Failure and Communication Issues

01:24

Concentrate Pressure for Breakthrough

01:17

Embrace the Challenge, Forge Your Narrative

03:33

Introduction

4min

Navigating Communication Challenges in Defense Technology Sector

21min

Managing Pressure in Offense and Defense Strategies

4min

Navigating Perspectives, Crafting Narratives, and Building Trust Circles

4min

Navigating Defense Technology Disclosures

11min

Effective Communication Strategies for Founders

25min

Navigating the Unending Competition in Startups

2min

In this episode, Mike Solana is joined by Lulu Cheng Meservey and Trae Stephens to discuss effective comms strategy. Trae Stephens is a Partner at Founders Fund and Co-Founder of Anduril. Lulu is the former comms at Activision Blizzard and Substack and is the Co-Founder of TrailRunner.

Lulu breaks down her 10 rules that helped shape Anduril into the multi-billion dollar company it is today and navigate through some of the lowest PR moments. This is an inside look into a company that you won’t find anywhere else. You can also read Lulu’s full piece in Pirate Wires linked below

Featuring Mike Solana, Lulu Cheng Meservey, Trae Stephens

Subscribe to Pirate Wires:

https://www.piratewires.com/

Topics Discussed:

https://www.piratewires.com/p/anduril-comms-strategy-early-days?f=home

Pirate Wires Twitter: https://twitter.com/PirateWires

Mike Twitter: https://twitter.com/micsolana

Lulu Twitter: https://twitter.com/lulumeservey

Trae Twitter: https://twitter.com/traestephens

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Welcome Trae and Lulu To The Show! Like & Subscribe!

2:30 - Overview of Lulu's Piece In Pirate Wires

3:50 - The Beginning Of Anduril

8:00 - Getting Kicked Out Of An Uber - How Lulu Approached Comms Issues At Anduril

14:00 - Going Through Lulu's 10 Rules

14:15 - Start With The Ends

30:15 - The Inner Circle Comes First & Win Over Tribal Elders

42:00 - Building Your Own Audience To Fight Back

48:00 - How Founders Can Navigate Comms

51:30 - Repeating The Mission Over & Over Again

58:15 - Act Like An Insurgent, Not An Incumbent

1:01:30 - Reacting To Google's Comms Nightmare With Gemeni AI

1:07:15 - There Is No Peacetime - Someone Is Always Coming For You If You're Succeeding

1:10:00 - Thanks Lulu & Trae For Joining! Subscribe Or D**

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Pirate Wires

10 Rules Every Founder Should Know: Inside Anduril’s Secret Comms Strategy w/ Lulu Cheng Meservey and Trae Stepens

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Establishing a Clear Mission: Building Weapons at Andrew

Navigating Hostile Environments through Communication Strategy

Establishing a Strategic Communication Sequence: Inner Circles and Tribal Leaders

Building a Community of Support for Founders

Navigating Hostility and Upholding Strategic Communication

Aligning Perception with Business Goals

Leadership Failure and Communication Issues

Concentrate Pressure for Breakthrough

Embrace the Challenge, Forge Your Narrative

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts