a16z Podcast The Ben & Marc Show: China Has Scale. Can America Catch Up?
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Oct 2, 2025 
Brian Schimpf, Co-founder and CEO of Anduril, and Chris Power, Founder and CEO of Hadrian, tackle America's defense production challenges. They delve into why the U.S. excels in innovation but struggles with mass production, highlighting how Ukraine's conflict showcased the need for munitions over exquisite systems. They discuss the decline of U.S. manufacturing capabilities, the importance of automation and software in scaling production, and how addressing supply chain issues—like rare earth materials—can bolster national security against China.
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Mass Beats Exquisite Alone
- Technological superiority alone is insufficient; mass production and kilograms of munitions matter most in protracted wars.
- Ukraine showed that industrial capacity itself is a key deterrent and wins conflicts when paired with tech edge.
War Games: Munitions Deplete Fast
- Chris Power recounts that war games show munitions run out in six to seven days.
- He says it then takes two to three years to refill stockpiles after that initial expenditure.
Skill Erosion Is Hard To Reverse
- U.S. manufacturing skills eroded after offshoring and lack of aspirational careers in manufacturing.
- Rebuilding the skill base will take decades and requires practice, diffusion, and new entrants.
