How operator trust, patient capital, and integrated platforms turn defense technology into fielded capability

Guest: Justin MacLaurin - Founder & CEO, Digital Force Technologies

Justin MacLaurin has built, sold, bought back, and scaled a defense technology company focused on real operator needs. In this episode, Justin and Callye discuss sensor fusion, edge compute, counter-UAS, SOCOM acquisition speed, and why defense startups must build complete capabilities, not isolated widgets.

• The convergence of technology and military operations
• DFT’s origin story with Naval Special Warfare
• Sensor fusion, edge processing, and battlefield awareness
• Selling to BBN, moving under Raytheon, and buying the company back
• Patient capital versus traditional VC expectations in defense hardware
• Partnership, ruggedization, cyber, and integration for startups
• Counter-UAS, drone scale, and manufacturability
• Building operator trust before scaling to larger services

• Defense technology only matters when it works in operational context.
• Startups win by staying close to the mission and moving faster than traditional acquisition cycles.
• The government buys capabilities, not components, so integration and deployability matter.
• Patient capital can fit defense hardware better than constant fundraising cycles.
• Partnerships help startups avoid wasting runway on non-core work.
• Operator trust is the first contract. Without it, formal acquisition does not matter.

[00:00] - Introducing Justin MacLaurin and DFT

[00:44] - Technology and military operations as the core passion

[01:20] - Why sensor fusion is reaching an inflection point

[04:00] - From video surveillance to edge compute and battlefield data

[06:42] - Translating operator needs at Naval Special Warfare

[08:00] - The unmet need for rapid tactical technology development

[09:00] - Building DFT around mission relevance

[10:12] - Selling to BBN and crossing the Valley of Death internally

[11:20] - Raytheon integration and the shift from startup speed

[12:35] - Buying DFT back and rebooting the company

[16:28] - Choosing scale over a lifestyle business

[17:30] - Partnering with DC Capital Partners

[18:52] - Moving from SOCOM to larger service programs

[19:39] - Patient capital and defense market realities

[23:29] - Startup culture as a mentality, not a size

[24:00] - Helping startups wrap technology for military use

[25:30] - Drone manufacturing, scale, and solving the right problem

[26:30] - The Seraphim platform and rapid sensor integration

[28:27] - Avoiding overinvestment in non-core technology

[31:47] - Marketing, OPSEC, and the modern defense tech noise floor

[33:30] - Building a trust contract with operators

[34:27] - Closing thoughts on fielded capability

Connect

Justin MacLaurin | LinkedIn

Callye Keen | LinkedIn

Advanced Sensing Technology | Digital Force Technologies

Why defense innovation still stalls, how to fix the operating model, and what it takes to get commercial technology into warfighters’ hands at mission speed

Guest: Meagan Metzger – Founder + Chief Executive Officer, Dcode

What actually keeps great commercial technology from reaching the Department of Defense is rarely the technology itself. In this episode, Meagan Metzger joins Callye Keen to break down the real blockers: incentive misalignment, slow operating models, rigid budgeting, and the persistent gap between prototyping and scale. Together they dig into how defense teams can move from admiring the problem to building an acquisition system that rewards outcomes, fast feedback, and rapid fielding.

• Why the Department needs a new operating model to move at the speed of relevance
• How incentive structures shape acquisition behavior and startup outcomes
• Why the “valley of death” is a solvable transition problem, not an unavoidable law of nature
• How rapid capability can go from need to fielded feedback in under 90 days
• Why outcome-based requirements and budgeting create better paths for commercial technology adoption

• Speed in defense innovation requires changing the operating model, not just asking teams to work harder inside the same system.
• Startups need fast clarity, not long maybes. A fast no is often more valuable than prolonged engagement without a buying path.
• Portfolio and mission-outcome thinking can align budgets, acquisition decisions, and fielding efforts around real capability instead of fragmented technology buys.

[00:05 - 01:51] Why this moment feels different for defense innovation and commercial tech adoption

[03:52 - 06:31] The Department needs a new operating model, not just more urgency

[08:43 - 10:43] Incentives, startup reality, and why a fast no beats a long maybe

[12:03 - 14:30] Reframing the valley of death and building a rapid acquisition integration cell

[15:10 - 19:29] Capability portfolios, mission outcomes, and what portfolio leaders should actually measure

[22:12 - 25:14] Why outcome-based requirements and budgeting matter for commercial technology adoption

[27:51 - 30:16] From zero to warfighter feedback in under 90 days and why that loop matters

[30:42 - 32:41] Where to learn more about DCODE and why this work is possible now

• DCODE official website
• Dcode leadership and company background
• “Act Like a CEO” by Meagan Metzger on portfolio leadership and operating models
• Kform and The Startup Defense

• Guest: Meagan Metzger on LinkedIn
• Host: Callye Keen on LinkedIn

How government teams can buy, trust, and operationalize commercial data faster for mission-critical decisions

Guest: Jen Obernier | CEO, Grist Mill Exchange

What does it take to get the exact commercial data a mission team needs before the decision window closes? In this episode, Jen Obernier joins Callye Keen to explain why speed in defense data is not just a technology problem. It is an acquisition, trust, and integration problem, and the teams that solve it will have a major advantage in decision-making, AI adoption, and mission execution.

• Why coherent data matters more than raw collection volume
• How Grist Mill Exchange helps governments discover, license, and deliver commercial data faster
• Why successful AI efforts start with the decision and required data, not just the model
• How resilient data pipelines reduce risk when providers, business models, or mission needs change
• Why the next defense advantage may belong to teams that can integrate and move data where decisions happen

• Speed comes from coherence: the right data, in the right place, at the right moment
• Many mission data bottlenecks are business model and procurement problems before they are technical problems
• AI programs are far more effective when teams identify the decision first, then align the data strategy to support it
• Trusted, flexible access to commercial data is becoming part of the defense data supply chain
• The future power brokers inside government may be the people who can integrate, route, and operationalize data across systems

[00:04 - 01:22] Jen explains her core passion: enabling better mission decisions with the specific data needed, exactly when and where it is needed

[03:10 - 05:25] From neuroscientist to Pentagon executive to CEO, Jen shares the career path that led her to Grist Mill Exchange

[05:25 - 07:47] Why 9 to 18 month acquisition timelines make mission-relevant data useless by the time it arrives

[07:51 - 10:58] Callye connects mission data assurance to supply chain resilience and the risks of depending on fragile commercial inputs

[10:58 - 13:20] Jen breaks down why commercial data access is as much a business model problem as a technology problem

[14:29 - 16:16] Subscription access, one-time historical purchases, and metered APIs as flexible ways to buy only the data needed

[17:00 - 18:55] Real-world use cases from policy analysis to supply chain intelligence and mission operations

[20:39 - 22:23] Why AI pilots succeed when they are built around a real decision and the data required to support it

[25:16 - 26:58] Jen’s prediction for the next three to five years: data integrators and infrastructure builders become the new power brokers

• Grist Mill Exchange: Official website

“Speed comes from coherence.”

Follow The Startup Defense for more conversations at the intersection of commercial technology and defense innovation. If this episode was useful, share it with a founder, operator, or acquisition leader working on mission data, AI, or defense modernization.

From warfighter need to fielded effect: building a partner-led “ordnance nexus” that collapses the munition lifecycle (materials → manufacturing → security → delivery) into a faster, more survivable path to the fight.

Guest: Jon Williams – President & CEO, WAR Inc.

This episode is a candid, operator-informed look at why defense innovation stalls between prototype and deployment, and what it takes to close the gap. Jon breaks down WAR Inc.’s “portfolio + partners” approach, spanning munitions, counter-UAS, encrypted comms, and manufacturing strategy, with a clear thesis: speed comes from integrated capability, not isolated widgets. (War.inc)

• WAR Inc.’s origin story: returning to defense to close the “delay gap” for the warfighter
• Project ONI and the “Ordnance Nexus” concept: munitions + weapon systems + secure data/IP + manufacturing
• Base materials and process advantage (including cryogenic processing) as a force-multiplier across platforms and tooling
• Why geographic manufacturing strategy (US + Europe proximity) is a product feature, not an ops detail
• Industrial-park logic for defense: proximity, talent flywheels, and orchestration over bureaucracy
• Designing for real near-term users (Ukraine/Poland/Baltics/INDOPACOM) and iterating fast enough to survive adoption

• Warfighter-first means time-to-field, not just performance. If you cannot get it delivered, secured, and sustained, it is not capability.
• Manufacturing is strategy. Where and how you build can determine adoption, scale, and even whether the program is feasible.
• Integration beats novelty. The “portfolio + partners” model can outpace single-tech plays by collapsing logistics, handoffs, and approvals.

[00:00] - Warfighter-first: “get them the tech they need and deserve”

[02:19] - Why Jon founded WAR Inc.: from Marine Corps to defense, to back again

[05:38] - Project ONI and the “Ordnance Nexus” (munitions + systems + security + manufacturing)

[07:34] - Going all the way back to base materials to move faster end-to-end

[09:08] - Cryogenic processing as an “infinite use” advantage (product + tooling + fleet sustainment)

[13:14] - The industrial-park model: proximity and orchestration as the real unlock

[17:50] - Build for near-term users first; the US warfighter may get version five

[19:51] - Why startups fail at scale: prototype is easy, production reality is not

[21:22] - The overlooked constraint: raw material availability and supply chain physics

• WAR Inc. — https://war.inc/

• Jon Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwilliamsofficial/
• Callye Keen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/

“If your product doesn’t ship with a Ukrainian instruction manual, you’re doing something wrong.”

Support the show: Subscribe, share with a builder in defense, and send one person this episode who needs a clearer view of how to go from prototype to production at speed.

Stopping threats before shots are fired: how ZeroEyes pairs computer vision with a 24/7 human verification layer to deliver actionable intelligence to responders in seconds.

Guest: Sam Alaimo – Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, ZeroEyes

ZeroEyes was founded to tackle a real, urgent problem with a pragmatic solution: detect a brandished firearm through existing cameras, verify it fast, and dispatch real-time alerts. In this episode, Sam breaks down how the tech + operations model works, why dual-use (K-12, commercial, and DoD) made the product stronger, and what it takes to build a mission-first culture that scales.

• Why ZeroEyes was founded after Parkland—and why cameras had been “forensic only” before (ZeroEyes)
• The ZeroEyes Operations Center (ZOC): human verification as the trust and assurance layer (ZeroEyes)
• Dual-use execution: how DoD work expanded capabilities (mobile cameras, new detection modalities)
• Fundraising lessons: why “team dynamics” can be the deciding factor in venture-scale capital
• Partnerships and integration strategy (e.g., Picogrid) (PR Newswire)

• High-stakes AI needs an assurance model. Human verification isn’t a bolt-on—it’s core to operational trust and speed.
• Dual-use can be a product advantage. Diverse environments drive better data, stronger models, and broader applicability.
• Investors often underwrite the team, not just the tech. Cohesion, humility, and mission alignment can be a decisive differentiator.

[00:00] - The mission: doing something practical about mass shootings

[01:35] - The founding story: Parkland, cameras, and “left of bang”

[04:44] - The hard truth: selling into schools vs. DoD (and staying mission-aligned)

[07:28] - Building a market that didn’t exist (and finding budget for it)

[07:54] - Inside the ZOC: human verification, dispatch, and actionable intel

[12:24] - Hiring as strategy: creating a mission-driven transition path for veterans

[16:08] - Raising venture-scale capital: what investors actually respond to

[22:15] - What’s next: expanding beyond firearms into new analytics (including knives)

[23:10] - Partnerships as force-multipliers (and why not to “reinvent the wheel”)

• ZeroEyes (company) (ZeroEyes)

• Guest: Sam Alaimo
• Host: Callye Keen

If this episode sparked ideas, share The Startup Defense with one operator or founder in your network—and if you’re building or scaling a defense tech product, reach out to Kform for support.

Startups can’t afford to be wrong on an 18-month cycle—and neither can the services or the acquisition system that supports them. Callye and Noah deconstruct the so-called “valley of death,” separating structural reality from self-inflicted pain and inexperience. They dig into how narrative, incentives, and tighter demo cycles can compress risk and get real capability into the hands of operators faster.

• Why the “valley of death” is often more mirage than destiny—and where it’s brutally real
• How information, narrative, and media shape behavior in defense and critical industries
• Kform’s evolution from a third-generation machine shop to a commercialization partner for defense startups
• Competition-based drone events and what they reveal about the future of acquisition
• Using rapid demos and shared customers to shrink timelines from years to weeks

• The valley of death isn’t an inescapable trap; it’s a series of predictable transitions that punish inexperience, poor capital efficiency, and lack of customer focus.
• In defense, you may only get one meaningful shot every 12–18 months, so choices around SBIRs, sponsors, and end users are not “free”—they are existential.
• Tight feedback loops—design, build, demo, adjust—run on weeks instead of years can derisk programs, align incentives, and help both startups and the government “be slightly wrong and get less wrong” much faster.

[00:00] - Why startups (and DoD) can’t afford 18-month mistakes
[02:34] - Rethinking the “valley of death” and reclaiming agency
[05:24] - A contrarian view: the valley as mirage and self-inflicted pain
[09:02] - “SBIR is not free money” and the cost of choosing the wrong sponsor
[11:54] - Defense tech jobs, new attention, and why this moment matters
[17:33] - Kform’s roots: from Navy machinist and Circle K to Kform
[23:55] - Building Kform’s playbook: the “team behind your team”
[26:29] - Steam Studios and competition-based drones as a new acquisition pattern
[31:20] - Tight demo loops: slightly wrong every two weeks vs. catastrophically wrong in 18 months
[36:57] - Policy shifts, acquisition reform, and closing reflections

• Kform — https://kform.com
• Crossing the Valley (podcast) — https://www.frontdoordefense.com/podcast
• Front Door Defense Jobs — https://www.frontdoordefense.com
• Steam Studios — https://www.steamstudio.io
• U.S. National Drone Association — https://www.usnda.org

“We can’t afford to be wrong in 18 months. We can afford to be slightly wrong—and getting less wrong—every two weeks.”

To partner with Kform, explore collaboration, or bring a product from prototype to field faster, visit kform.com and reach out to the team. If this episode resonates, share it with a founder, operator, or investor who cares about actually fielding capability—not just talking about it.

In this episode of "The Startup Defense," hosted by Callye Keen, we delve into the complex world of cybersecurity and defense innovation. Joined by cybersecurity expert Zach Walker, the discussion revolves around the evolving landscape of security regulations, including the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

Topic Highlights:

[00:00] - Introduce Zach Walker
Callye Keen introduces Zach Walker, Co-founder ATX Defense, an organization that helps national security organizations integrate revolutionary technology, scalable processes, and long-term viability into operations.

[02:55] - Understanding CMMC and Its Evolution
Zach Walker introduces the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and explains its significance in the defense industry. He highlights the evolution of CMMC and its role in strengthening security regulations.

[06:45] - Challenges and Confusion Surrounding CMMC
Callye and Zach discuss the challenges and confusion many companies face when dealing with CMMC requirements. Zach emphasizes the need for clarity and proper guidance in compliance.

[12:18] - Empowering Startups in the Defense Space
The conversation explores how startups can play a pivotal role in driving innovation within the defense industry. Zach and Callye discuss the importance of bringing new entrants into the ecosystem.

[15:52] - CMMC's Impact on Business Operations
Zach elaborates on how CMMC compliance can significantly affect a company's ability to secure defense contracts. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and preparing for CMMC's implications.

[23:32] - Army Software Factory and Institutionalizing Innovation
Zach Walker shares insights into the Army Software Factory and its mission to empower service members to drive innovation in software development. The discussion highlights the culture shift required to embrace emerging technologies.

"To me, what's so special about the Army Software Factory, being in the reserves and, coming from the defense innovation unit, they have made good on that promise of empowering soldiers, service members to be part of the solution." - Zach Walker

Callye Keen - Kform

https://kform.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/

https://youtube.com/@kforminc

https://twitter.com/CallyeKeen

Zach Walker - Co-founder ATX Defense

atxdefense.com/cmmc

Zach led the Defense Innovation Unit’s Texas office from 2017-2020 and has over two decades of national security experience with service in the Army, Air Force, NSA, CIA, and at the Pentagon. He co-founded ATX Defense to help national security organizations integrate revolutionary technology, scalable processes, and long-term viability into operations. Zach serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for the Texas Air National Guard and has worn the uniform since 2001.

Imagine if the complexities of government tech adoption, the disruption caused by AI and ML, and the power of compelling user stories were all decoded for you in one enlightening conversation. That's exactly what you're signing up for as Meg Vorland of DCode and DCode Capital graces our podcast. Meg offers us an insider's perspective on how DCode helps startups surf the opportunities surfacing at the intersection of government and technology.

Technology has its tentacles wrapped around modern governance and its challenges. Commercial tech companies are taking the plunge into the government market, while innovation shops and programs like SOFWorks and Defenseworks are reshaping government's tech approach. But as AI and ML disrupt the market, we must confront significant hurdles. Meg Vorland, with her rich experience, provides us a roadmap to navigate this evolving landscape. She talks about DCode's role in guiding startups and aiding the government in identifying use cases and potential impact areas.

We then pivot our discussion to an often overlooked aspect - understanding the user. Meg and I emphasize the power of 'listen mode', the art of asking the right questions to get the backstory. We also touch upon the role of a good connector in the ecosystem who offers insight and understanding. Wrapping up this insightful discussion, we value having a VC for market sentiment and intelligence and echo the importance of a mentor to maintain focus. Dive headfirst into this riveting conversation as we demystify the convergence of government and technology.