Today we have a unique Combat Story with F-16 Fighter Pilot and co-founder of the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), Raj Shah. Raj was handpicked to stand up an organization that would strengthen our armed forces through contractual and cultural bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, to include accelerating the contracting process and getting the newest technology from Silicon Valley and tech into the hands of the warfighters faster. 

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Raj is one of these guys who seems to have more time in a day than the rest of us. He is the Managing Partner of Shield Capital, a venture capital firm focused on technologies at the nexus of the commercial and defense markets; chairman of Resilience Insurance, a start-up powering new approaches to cyber insurance; he was CEO of Morta Security, which was acquired by Palo Alto Networks; and he reported directly to the Secretary of Defense while running DIUx for two years. Raj led DIUx in its efforts to strengthen U.S. armed forces through contractual and cultural bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon. He attended Princeton and got an MBA from Wharton at UPenn.

He and Christopher Kirchhoff recently published ‘Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War,’ which takes you inside AI labs, drone workshops, and battle command centers—to include Ukraine’s frontline – for a fascinating picture of what it takes to stay dominant in a fast-changing and often precarious geopolitical landscape.

With that, please enjoy this short but interesting episode with Raj Shah.

Book Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War: https://www.amazon.com/Unit-Pentagon-Silicon-Valley-Transforming/dp/1668031388

Website https://www.unitxbook.com/

https://www.unitxbook.com/?pgid=lvhhykmv-0822ea78-348c-4d11-bbad-0625206ad7dd

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🎵 Intro Song: Sport Rock from Audio Jungle

Show Notes:

00:00 The Power of an Individual in Combat
00:30 Introduction to Combat Story and Raj Shah
01:15 Raj Shah's Background and Achievements
02:21 The Future of Warfare: Ukraine and Israel
04:56 Rapid Technological Advancements
06:55 Raj Shah's Military Journey
08:25 Joining the Air National Guard
09:49 Experiences and Challenges in Flight School
16:21 First Deployment and Technological Disparities
18:13 The Role of Software in Modern Warfare
23:24 The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
27:11 Setting Up DIU and Overcoming Bureaucracy
31:23 Negotiating the Term Sheet
31:54 Connecting with Todd Park
32:28 Setting the Vision
33:54 Facing Budget Challenges
36:21 Overcoming Bureaucratic Hurdles
39:07 Evaluating Success and Achievements
41:20 Innovative Contracting with Startups
45:09 Technological Innovations and Wins
51:42 Strategic Cost Considerations in Warfare
53:59 Book Recommendations and Reflections
58:15 Final Thoughts and Listener Comments