DIB Innovators

David Dickey, CEO, Founder, & Executive Search Consultant of Patriot Group, has seen it happen: an executive placed into a PE-backed defense company and a year later, the firm was contracting operations and pushing to sell. It wasn’t because of the market, but because the hire who looked great on paper couldn't actually lead. David has founded and exited aerospace and defense companies before starting Patriot Group, and watched that pattern repeat enough times that he built his entire process around preventing it. He walks through the Patriot Method, which focuses on the “p” being for “planning.” He also reflects on how most job descriptions are laundry lists that have to be torn apart before a search can even begin, how a scorecard keeps hiring teams from getting charmed by a good talker, and why running the same questions through the candidate, the brief, and the reference check is the only way to build real signal on something as hard to fake as leadership under pressure. Topics discussed:Using scorecards and structured job description reviews to eliminate "laundry list" hiring and focus searches on actual requirementsNavigating the talent gap facing defense tech startups competing for the same senior candidates from high-logo companiesScreening executive candidates for AI fluency through scenario questions, written questionnaires, and reference checksIdentifying what separates high-impact defense executives from candidates who perform well in interviews but fail in the seatWhy senior military operators face a harder transition into defense tech executive roles than technical veteransHow the Patriot Method (planning, scorecards, submission packages, and communication) reduces offer-stage surprises and failed placementsHow competitive comp, defined growth path, and a differentiated story drives top defense tech talent to leave established companiesWhy founders cannot delegate accountability for culture to a head of people and what happens to companies that do

Coastal launch infrastructure is a strategic chokepoint that is one EW disruption off the Cape grounds US space ops, and bespoke responsive launch systems top out at a magazine depth of three. Jonathan Slavik, Co-Founder & CEO of Sagittarius Logistics, is building the orbital launch company incumbents structurally cannot become: designed from day one for payload handoffs measured in hours, non-destructive abort capability that unlocks inland and distributed launch, and an airline-model operations stack that gives the DOD unlimited reconstitution depth by stepping directly into a commercial flow already running at daily cadence. Jonathan walks through the technical architecture and the FAA regulatory roadmap for over-land launch. Topics discussed:Why commercially-driven space companies require market-responsive launch timelines that existing providers structurally cannot offerHow non-destructive abort capability eliminates months-long payload acceptance testing and enables FAA approval for inland over-land launch routesThe airline model for launch operations: swapping vehicles without delaying payloads and scheduling days or weeks out instead of yearsWhy incumbent launch providers are locked out of this market by prior design decisions and an incompatible business modelNational security case for distributed inland launch: eliminating coastal single points of failure and replacing bespoke warehouse-stored rockets Revenue-first company building strategy: subscale hovering rocket vehicles generating early revenueHuman-on-the-loop ML architecture: 30-40 simultaneous sensor data streams used to detect anomalies before they require vehicle recoveryHow a commercial procurement mindset benefits DOD by matching real mission requirements to available commercial capabilities

Jackson Moses, Founder and Managing Partner at Silent Ventures, spent a decade building companies before he started backing them. He founded Silent Ventures to invest exclusively at the pre-seed and seed stage in aerospace, defense, and national security, specifically because he believed most early-stage investors didn't understand what it actually took to survive inside the defense contracting system.Jackson makes the case that most defense tech companies fail on go to market, not technology, and that a program of record is the only outcome that turns a defense tech startup into a real business. He also gives a direct take on why dual use is a hedge word, why SBIR dollars prolong the valley of death instead of crossing it, and why diversification is the wrong thesis for anyone investing seriously in this space.Topics discussed:Why SBIRs prolong the valley of death instead of solving itDual use as a hedge word, not a strategyProgram of record as the only real success metric for defense techWhat Silent Ventures looks for in a founding team at pre-seedGo-to-market as the primary failure point in defense techWhy diversification kills alpha in defense tech investingBiggest funding gaps: electronic warfare and affordable drone massThe case against building a defense tech company around non-dilutive funding 

There are roughly 438 companies building propulsion systems for space right now. Nobody knows which ones actually perform. Philip Hover Smoot, CEO of Atlas Cup, is building a model to fix that, one that creates a capital pathway outside traditional defense funding, a proving ground for real on-orbit performance, and a non-government revenue stream for companies that need to survive long enough to win.Atlas Cup's model doesn't ask anyone to build new hardware. It draws ruleset boundaries around satellites already in orbit at the end of their primary mission. These assets have propulsion still in the tank, licensing already paid, operators already covering TTNC and orbital maintenance. Those assets become a performance stage instead of a sunk cost. The data generated maps directly to what Space Systems Command is looking for, and for DIB contractors who need a credible commerciality plan, it may be one of the only honest answers available. Topics discussed:Turning end-of-mission satellite assets into a competitive racing ecosystemWhy over 400 propulsion companies exist but no one knows who's actually bestThe dual-use case for Atlas Cup within DOD acquisition and commerciality requirementsDesigning a league structure that externalizes every regulatory and licensing burdenBuilding toward a 2028 Grand Prix with chemical propulsion and university class divisionsHow racing data, like maneuverability, pointing, and tracking maps directly to Space Force requirementsWhy SBIR-dependent space companies need non-government revenue to surviveThe fan experience challenge: visualizations, immersive venues, and short-format content distributionWhat professional racing did for automotive and why space needs the same forcing functionSpace domain awareness classification and why open competitive data changes the equation  

Brook Leonard, CEO of Rogue Space Systems, spent 31 years in the Air Force, including as Chief of Staff of US Space Command. Today he is building the modular infrastructure layer that makes space operations faster, cheaper, and sustainable beyond a single mission. Brook breaks down why the current model (bespoke, fully integrated satellites that become debris) can't keep pace with the speed of modern competition, and how Rogue's approach of separating the satellite chassis from the payload changes what's possible on orbit.Rogue's pitch to commercial customers: five times faster, five times cheaper to space. They also get into edge AI and why ground-based processing isn't an option when communication is delayed and reaction windows are seconds, the national security implications of contested space and where the US is falling behind. Topics discussed:Why the current model of bespoke, fully integrated satellites that die as debris is unsustainable for both commercial and military spaceHow modular architecture separates the satellite chassis from the payload, like a truck is separate from the container it haulsWhat "space shipping containers" actually are and how they enable on-orbit payload swaps without relaunchingWhy edge compute and AI autonomy are non-negotiable in space: communication delay, incomplete tracking, and reaction timeHow persistent unmanned platform works as an on-orbit depot: hosting payloads, supplying power and compute, enabling refueling and mission changesWhy the biggest growth opportunity in defense right now is infrastructure, not payloadsWhat China is doing right that we aren't: getting technology into operational units fast and iterating off exercisesWhy human colonies in space are overhyped, and how autonomous systems will do the work instead