

Trae Stephens
Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous systems.
Top 10 podcasts with Trae Stephens
Ranked by the Snipd community

251 snips
Mar 7, 2023 • 1h 8min
Trae Stephens - Find Good Quests - [Invest Like the Best, EP.319]
Trae Stephens, a partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Anduril, dives into mission-driven technology. He emphasizes the need for engineers to pursue societal benefits and discusses the transformation of defense innovation. Trae explores the importance of lobbyists, debunking myths about their role, and highlights key traits for entrepreneurs, such as disagreeableness. He also shares insights on modern nuclear deterrence and introduces innovative ideas like VR to enhance reading experiences, underscoring the significance of virtue in personal growth.

146 snips
Apr 3, 2024 • 1h 13min
20VC: Founders Fund's Trae Stephens on Why The Most Competitive Deals are the Worst, Why No Company is Successful Because of their VC, Why We are Making ZIRP Mistakes Again Today, Why Loss Ratio is BS and Upside Maximisation is Everything
Trae Stephens, Partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of defense tech company Anduril Industries, shares his unique journey into venture capital. He discusses why competitive deals can be detrimental and emphasizes the importance of avoiding herd mentality in investments. Trae critiques common VC practices, arguing that true success comes from upside maximization rather than downside protection. He also highlights the critical role of innovative strategies and exceptional founding teams in navigating the tech landscape.

79 snips
Mar 6, 2024 • 1h 10min
10 Rules Every Founder Should Know: Inside Anduril’s Secret Comms Strategy w/ Lulu Cheng Meservey and Trae Stepens
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.

54 snips
Mar 13, 2025 • 3h 10min
Trae Stephens, Ashlee Vance, Avi Schiffmann, Shaan Puri, Justin Mares, Max Meyer, Everything is Computer
This discussion features Avi Schiffmann, founder of Friend.com, who delves into the future of AI companions. Ashlee Vance, a journalist and tech expert, critiques Apple's recent challenges with innovation and Siri. Max Meyer sheds light on the intersection of technology and American culture, while Justin Mares discusses health entrepreneurship hurdles. Shaan Puri shares insights on startup dynamics, and Trae Stephens emphasizes the crucial role of defense tech in societal development, exploring innovation's duality of promise and responsibility.

36 snips
Sep 3, 2024 • 56min
E54: Trae Stephens on Founders Fund
Trae Stephens, General Partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Anduril, shares insights into the firm's unique investment culture. He discusses how open debate drives effective decision-making and the value of a concentrated portfolio strategy. Trae emphasizes the importance of empowering founders and fostering honest discussions during pitches. He also explores Founders Fund's unconventional governance model and its focus on transformative investments in sectors like defense technology, highlighting the blend of investment and operational roles.

27 snips
Jul 24, 2023 • 1h 5min
Thank God For The Atom Bomb | PIRATE WIRES EP#7
EPISODE FOUR: In this episode, Mike is joined by Kmele Foster and Trae Stephens. We break down the movie Oppenheimer, the aftermath of dropping nuclear weapons, and the discourse surrounding the film.
Featuring Mike Solana , Kmele Foster, Trae Stephens
Subscribe to Pirate Wires:
https://www.piratewires.com/
Pirate Wires Twitter: https://twitter.com/PirateWires
Mike Twitter: https://twitter.com/micsolana
Kmele Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmele
Trae Twitter: https://twitter.com/traestephens
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro - Welcome Kmele & Trae
1:48 - SPOILER ALERT If You Don't Know The Ending To WWII
2:25 - Christopher Nolan's Past Movies We Liked
3:23 - Review Of Oppenheimer
13:30 - Creating A Doomsday Device To End All Wars
20:13 - Controversy Around The Name Oppenheimer - Accountability For Actions - We're Missing This Today
29:20 - Famous Physicist Who Worked On Manhattan Project
32:45 - McCarthyism
35:32 - Was The Movie Too Pessimistic?
38:00 - No Nuclear Bombs Have Been Dropped After WWII
39:18 - "Thank God For The Atom Bomb" - Why We Needed To Drop The Nuke
55:23 - Preventing Other Countries From Getting Atom Bombs
56:52 - What's More Dangerous? Dropping The Nuke or Not?
59:50 - Depravity For The American Project
1:03:58 - No One Wants War
1:05:00 - Thanks For Joining For This Special Episode! Pirate Wires Podcast Every Friday!

18 snips
Apr 22, 2025 • 50min
Anduril Co-Founder Trae Stephens - Hard Tech & Modern Defense Strategy
Trae Stephens, co-founder and executive chairman at Anduril and Partner at Founders Fund, dives into the evolving landscape of defense technology. He discusses the revolution in defense manufacturing and the vital role of billionaire founders in navigating government contracts. The conversation highlights the challenges of outsourcing and inefficiencies in traditional models. Trae also reflects on how technology influences relationships and community, advocating for deeper human connections amidst the rise of hard tech.

11 snips
Oct 17, 2023 • 55min
E10: No Process, High Conviction — The Iconoclastic Founders Fund DNA
Trae Stephens, General Partner at Founders Fund, discusses the importance of independent thinking and debate culture at the firm. They emphasize their unique approach to deal-making driven by individual conviction. They also talk about the governance structure at Founders Fund and their focus on making highly concentrated bets. Additionally, they discuss the challenges and opportunities of investing in government tech and their approach to hiring new talent.

9 snips
Nov 6, 2024 • 38min
How to Rebuild the Arsenal of Democracy
Trae Stephens, a general partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Anduril, teams up with Michael Kratsios, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer, to tackle pressing issues in the defense sector. They reveal the shortcomings of the defense industrial base and discuss innovative strategies to maintain competitiveness against China. With a focus on revitalizing American manufacturing and leveraging new technologies, they explore how modern warfare demands a shift in defense spending. The conversation also highlights the challenges of attracting tech talent for public service.

5 snips
Aug 11, 2023 • 52min
Military Defense Has Taken Over The Tech Industry | PIRATE WIRES EP#9
EPISODE NINE: In this episode, Mike is joined by John Coogan and the Founder of Anduril Trae Stephens. We discuss the history of defense companies, how the tech startup Anduril became a player in the defense industry, the shift in opinion working with the government, and what the future of tech defense holds.
Featuring Mike Solana , John Coogan, Trae Stephens.
Subscribe to Pirate Wires:
https://www.piratewires.com/
Topics Discussed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI4l-o4AcHs&t=1s&ab_channel=JohnCoogan
Pirate Wires Twitter: https://twitter.com/PirateWires
Mike Twitter: https://twitter.com/micsolana
John Twitter: https://twitter.com/johncoogan
Trae Twitter: https://twitter.com/traestephens
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
0:25 - Welcome John & Trae to the show! Preview of John's documentary on YT - Link in Description
2:55 - History Of Defense Companies
8:35 - What Does The Defense Industry Look Like Today?
12:40 - Competing With The Big Companies As A Startup
21:15 - Talking To Congress
23:20 - Will There Be New Players In The Space?
26:30 - Changes At Founders Fund To Accommodate Anduril
28:30 - Project Maven
37:15 - Tech Industry Has Zero Power In San Francisco
40:15 - The Dream Team Needed To Make Anduril A Success
45:45 - What's Next For Defense Industry?
51:30 - Go Watch John's Documentary on YouTube! And Follow John & Trae On Twitter (X)
51:50 - See You Next Week! Pirate Wires Podcast Every Friday!!
#defense #tech #defenseindustry #lockheedmartin #boeing #war #anduril