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How Anduril Is Reimagining the Defense Industry: Faster Tech, Ethical AI, and a New Kind of Deterrence | Trae Stephens (Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, Anduril)

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May 20, 2025

Guest

Trae Stephens

Trae Stephens, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril, shares insights on revolutionizing defense technology with a Silicon Valley approach. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of warfare and the necessity of innovation amidst rising global tensions, particularly with China. Trae highlights how Anduril's software, Lattice, enhances military capabilities and addresses traditional defense contract limitations. He reflects on Just War Theory, the importance of transparency in recruiting, and how his personal faith aligns with the company's mission for responsible technological advancement.

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ANECDOTE

Trae Stephens' Georgetown Admission

Trae Stephens got denied by all colleges except one public university despite strong academics and athletics.
He flew to Georgetown, convinced the dean to meet him, and was eventually admitted from the waitlist.

insights

INSIGHT

Great Power Conflict Demands Deterrence

The shift from fighting non-state actors to great power conflict demands a strong military and deterrence.
Recent conflicts have normalized the importance of this approach to national defense.

insights

INSIGHT

Defense Incentives Are Misaligned

Defense industry contracts rely on cost plus models that disincentivize speed and efficiency.
Market-driven, competitive models could improve cost, speed, and capability for modern defense systems.

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The Kill Chain

Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare

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What happens when you apply Silicon Valley’s speed and innovation to reinvent defense technology? Trae Stephens, co-founder of Anduril, is running that experiment in real-time. His company creates software-driven, hardware-enabled autonomous systems designed to transform national security capabilities amid growing global tensions.

In today's episode, Trae and I dive deep into the ethics of warfare, technology's evolving role in national defense, the complexities of Great Power conflict with China, and how Trae’s personal faith shapes his vision for responsible innovation.

We explore:

• An overview of Anduril's mission and platform

• A look at the "Four Americas" and why we need a strong military

• How Trae uncovered gaps in intelligence that led to Anduril’s founding

• The “don’t work at Anduril” campaign and how transparency filters talent

• A glimpse at Anduril’s reading list and the case for organizational reading lists

• An overview of Lattice, the software behind every platform Anduril builds

• Why too much innovation can be a problem

• How Anduril took over the IVAX project from Microsoft

• Why single domain defense companies won’t win

• An overview of Just War Theory, and how it guides Anduril’s mission

• How the U.S. is stacking up against China’s intelligence and military

• How Anduril’s mission is compatible with Trae’s faith

• Lessons from Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, and Palmer Luckey

• And much more!

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Transcript: https://thegeneralist.substack.com/p/how-anduril-is-reimagining-the-defense-industry-trae-stephens

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Thank you to the partners who make this possible

Vanta: Automate compliance and simplify security.

WorkOS: The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS.

Brex: The banking solution for startups.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(04:33) An overview of Anduril

(05:31) The surprising way Trae got into Georgetown

(11:58) Trae’s work with computational linguistics

(13:37) “The four Americas” and why we need a strong military

(16:05) How Trae uncovered gaps in intelligence and military that prompted Anduril’s founding

(20:49) Why the incentive structure in the defense industry wasn’t working

(23:08) An overview of Anduril’s leadership

(25:53) The first Anduril office and how they approach hiring

(31:13) The Anduril reading list

(34:23) Anduril’s building philosophy, and the software behind all their products

(38:45) How Anduril partners with DOD to understand what to build

(41:21) Why too much innovation is not sellable

(45:29) How Anduril took over the IVAS program from Microsoft

(47:57) The future of weaponry

(51:26) Anduril’s growth strategy: buying and building

(55:02) The single domain companies Trae is excited about

(58:44) How the US stacks up against China

(1:05:20) Trae’s thoughts on conflict resolution and the current administration’s approach

(1:08:14) How Anduril’s work in Europe may change

(1:09:37) Why Trae believes his work aligns with his faith

(1:12:39) An overview of “Just War Theory”

(1:15:38) Lessons from Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, and Palmer Luckey

(1:19:05) Final meditations

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Follow Trae Stephens

X: https://x.com/traestephens

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trae-stephens-485a811/

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Resources and episode mentions

—Books—

• Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis: https://www.amazon.com/Hillbilly-Elegy-Memoir-Family-Culture/dp/0062300547

• The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11: https://www.amazon.com/Looming-Tower-Al-Qaeda-Road-11/dp/1400030846

• Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre 1st Edition: https://www.amazon.com/Impro-Improvisation-Theatre-Keith-Johnstone/dp/0878301178

• The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Chain-Defending-America-High-Tech/dp/031653353X

...Resources continued at: https://thegeneralist.substack.com/p/how-anduril-is-reimagining-the-defense-industry-trae-stephens

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