Invest Like The Best
Episode 216 The Past, Present, and Future of Defense
Invest Like The Best

Episode 216: The Past, Present, and Future of Defense

Invest Like The Best

Episode 216

The Past, Present, and Future of Defense

Josh is the co-founder of Lux Capital. Tony, now a partner at Lux, is a retired 4-star General and 11th Commander of the US Special Operations Command. We cover the technology frontiers in defense, the future of semiconductors, and the most important trait of great leaders.

This episode is brought to you by:

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[00:03:46] - [First question] - Overview of Tony Thomas’s career

[00:06:36] - His focus on the information wars and truthiness

[00:08:50] - How Josh and Tony met

[00:12:27] - Experiencing the slow pace of technology growth within the Department of Defense

[00:15:51] - History of businesses selling to and engaging with the government

[00:23:52] - Consensus of the threats we face today 

[00:28:55] - Most important competitive frontier today 

[00:35:09] - The lessening of kinetic warfare

[00:46:51] - State of the drone technology and industry 

[00:52:56] - Mapping the arctic and the geopolitical ramifications

[00:54:31] - The frontier of space 

[00:59:26] - What shouldn’t be unmanned technology 

[01:02:31] - The cutting edge of simulation technology 

[01:06:50] - The most important thing to know about the future of semiconductors

[01:11:36] - The moral lens of working with and investing in defense companies

[01:20:53] - Traits of the most exceptional leaders he’s served with

[01:23:53] - Kindest thing anyone has done for Tony

The Past, Present, and Future of Defense

Introduction

Patrick
My guests this week are Josh Wolfe and Tony Thomas, better known as T2. Josh is the co-founder and General Partner at Lux Capital. T2 is now a venture partner alongside Josh at Lux, after serving almost 40 years in the US military and becoming a 4-star general and the 11th Commander of US Special Operations Command. Our conversation focuses on the technology frontier in defense as well as the geopolitical threats that the US faces. We talk about everything from semiconductors and autonomous weapons systems to the moral dimensions of investing in defense technology. I hope you enjoy this fascinating conversation with Josh Wolfe and Tony Thomas.

Tony's Background & Meeting Josh

So, T2, I think since the audience knows Josh very well, we have to begin with you and your fascinating background. Could you begin by giving us sort of the thumbnail sketch of your career up until this point?

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