Ep. 55: Equipping the Military for Human-Centric Warfare

About James Boyd

James Boyd is the archetype of a mission-driven founder. Born in California but raised in the UK, his trajectory changed completely on September 11, 2001, when he was a Stanford computer science student. Instead of following his peers into consulting or investment banking, Boyd made the contrarian decision to enlist in Army Special Forces—a choice that would define his entire career.

Boyd was in the First Special Forces Group for about three years. It was during these deployments that he experienced firsthand the friction between cutting-edge intelligence systems and the analog processes that dominated day-to-day military operations. This experience led him to Palantir, where he spent nearly seven years building and deploying data analytics platforms across special operations units.

The combination of Stanford computer science education, Special Forces operational experience, and Palantir's high-velocity startup culture created a unique skill set: deep technical capabilities paired with intimate understanding of military operations and bureaucratic navigation. This intersection would prove invaluable when founding Adyton.

About Adyton

Adyton was founded in early 2020 with a simple but powerful thesis: while defense organizations had invested heavily in enterprise systems and data analytics, the actual warfighters—the people doing maintenance, training, and operations—remained trapped in analog processes using paper notebooks, clipboards, and manual data entry.

The company's flagship product, Adyton Operations Kit (AOK), transforms these analog workflows into seamless digital experiences optimized for mobile devices. Rather than requiring new government-furnished equipment, AOK leverages the smartphones that service members already carry, addressing everything from personnel accountability to digital asset management to training coordination.

Adyton's growth trajectory has been impressive: 500% growth in 2024, deployment across 39 of 59 Army Brigade Combat Teams, adoption by seven Special Forces groups, and recent expansion to multiple Navy aircraft carriers. The company achieved this scale through organic, bottom-up adoption—end users demanding the product rather than top-down procurement mandates.

Follow James Boyd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-alexander-boyd/

Learn more about Adyton: https://www.adytonpbc.com/

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