Drone Wars

Ellen Chang, a deep-tech investor and Co-President of Wharton Aerospace, shares her insights on Taiwan's defense strategy and the urgent need for manufacturing scale in modern warfare. She discusses Taiwan's self-reliance, the implications of China's tech ambitions, and the U.S.'s struggles with critical components. Ellen emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships to revitalize the maritime sector, warns against innovation arrogance, and critiques VC approaches to hard-tech. She also offers advice for newcomers in the defense tech field.

Ellen Chang, a deep-tech investor and former U.S. Navy intelligence officer, dives into pressing geopolitical issues surrounding Taiwan and China. She discusses how the Ukraine War serves as a preview for future drone warfare, emphasizing decentralized approaches versus bureaucratic barriers. Ellen reflects on Taiwan's rapid development of its domestic drone industry, driven by lessons learned from Ukraine and a resilient national identity. Her insights on reshoring manufacturing and the generational divide in Taiwanese identity add depth to this critical conversation.

Chad McCoy is a Co-Founder and the Chief Growth Officer at Firestorm Labs. He’s a Special Operations Veteran and retired Chief Master Sergeant from the United States Air Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron.The convo covers:-Importance of a military background as a defense tech founder.-Speeding up DoD adoption.-Firestorm’s strategy.-Winning the Pacific.About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Dan reacts to his 12 most viral drone moments on LinkedIn of 2025. Check out his top posts below:12. Counter UAS Fishing11. Chinese Robo-Cop Drone10. Counter UAS Fishing Nets9. Autonomous Aerial Construction8. Russia’s Pearl Harbor7. Tempest in a Suitcase6. The Quad Bomber5. Balloon-Launched 'Eagle'4. Robo Dog Drone3. Liaowan-12. Narco Sub1. Chicken droneAbout Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Joslyn Tarr is a seasoned UAS engineering leader with deep expertise in aircraft development and systems engineering. She’s worked for several defense companies including Kratos and General Atomics, loves all things aviation and is currently pursuing her private pilot's license. Not to mention she’s our very own Senior Vice President of Engineering here at Firestorm Labs.   This convo covers: - Working for a defense prime vs a startup.- 3-D printing drones.- Rapid prototyping.- Scaling teams at a startup.- Lessons from Ukraine.- Providing the best value for the warfighter.About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Jamie Dimon is the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, a global financial services firm with assets of $3.2 trillion and operations worldwide. He’s been one of the most influential voices on Wall Street for the last 2 decades.JP Morgan Chase recently announced the Security and Resiliency Initiative (SRI), a $1.5 trillion, 10-year plan to facilitate, finance and invest advanced manufacturing, defense, energy, AI and quantum computing. Dan reacts to Dimon’s recent remarks at the America Business Forum as a defense tech entrepreneur.About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Larsen Jenson is a 2x Olympic medalist, former U.S. Navy Seal and founder of Harpoon Ventures and Vector Defense.Their convo covers:- Founders must thrive in discomfort.- Startup failure in the U.S. vs other countries.- Why Harpoon invested in Firestorm.00:00 – Intro.01:41 – The Origin Story: From almond farming to Olympic Silver and Bronze medals.04:10 – Joining the Navy SEALs: Seeing the technology gap on the battlefield.06:15 – The Psychology of Success: Being comfortable in uncomfortable situations.09:40 – Just Start: Overcoming the fear of the unknown.11:34 – The American Edge: Why the US startup culture is unique in the world.15:28 – Failure vs. Scarlet Letters: The difference between US and UK business cultures.19:17 – The Citadel Story: From stadium cameras to saving lives in combat.22:00 – Real Impact: Meeting the soldier whose life was saved by the tech.25:06 – Investment Thesis: Why Harpoon invested in Firestorm.27:16 – The Future of Drone Warfare: The need for mass manufacturing.#Olympian #NavySEALs #EntrepreneurMindset #Leadership #Firestorm #Citadel #MassManufacturing #Startups #Resilience #InvestmentThesisAbout Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Larsen Jenson is a 2x Olympic medalist, former U.S. Navy Seal and founder of Harpoon Ventures and Vector Defense.They dive into:- Founding one of the first defense tech VCs before anyone in Silicon Valley cared.- Geopolitical urgency and rapid tech progress.- VC trends: why physical products are making a comeback.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro: The "Tequila Story" and the shift in defense investing.01:23 – Guest Introduction: Larsen Jensen and the Harpoon Ventures mission.03:04 – Defining Dual-Use: How enterprise software powers the government.05:13 – The Catalyst: Moving from counter-terror to Great Power Competition.07:46 – The Hard Truth: Why the best product doesn't always win in the DOD.11:03 – "The Future is Here": Autonomous systems, Ukraine, and structural reform.13:20 – Defense Tech 2.0: Why top talent is finally opting into national security.15:23 – Hardware is Hard (But Sticky): The resurgence of physical tech investing.18:18 – The LLM Movement: Why AI is disrupting white-collar jobs first.20:19 – Efficiency: How AI is rewriting government contracts and saving time.#DefenseTech #VentureCapital #DualUse #NationalSecurity #HarpoonVentures #AI #DeepTech #GovTech #SiliconValley #AcquisitionReformAbout Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Founder of Anduril, Palmer Luckey recently appeared on the #1 podcast in the world, the Joe Rogan Experience.Founder and CEO of Firestorm Labs, Dan Magy reacts to key moments of the show.Topics include:- Dan Driscoll’s AUSA talk.- National security and private companies.- China’s commercial vessels building to military standards.- Should the U.S. become the world’s gun store?About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.

Brandon Florian has over 20 years of experience in aerospace and defense at Northrop Grumman and Starburst. He’s the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Grid Aero, building rugged, long-range autonomous aircrafts to revolutionize cargo logistics at scale. They cover: Grid Aero is building a “pickup truck of the skies”.  Which top defense primes work the best with startups? What separates successful companies?  About Drone Wars Firestorm Studios brings you The Drone Wars Podcast, a show that explores all facets of autonomous systems - ground, air, and sea - and their transformative impact on various aspects of human life, from agriculture to warfare. We feature interviews with CEOs, founders, and C-suite executives from the world's leading autonomy and robotics companies.