The Drone Ultimatum

Brett Velicovich is the founder of Powerus and a former intelligence professional who spent years supporting special operations and drone missions before working alongside frontline units in Ukraine.

Brett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-velicovich-86a3651a/

Brett on X: https://x.com/TheDroneWarrior

Powerus: https://www.power.us/

Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/|

Episode Description

In this conversation, Brett explains why he calls Powerus a “revenge business”—a response to years of watching companies ignore feedback from operators with real-world experience. He discusses how lessons learned in Ukraine directly influenced the company’s approach to building and fielding new capabilities.

The discussion explores the accelerating evolution of drone warfare, counter-drone systems, autonomy, and AI. Brett shares why he believes future conflicts will reward speed, adaptability, and distributed systems over traditional assumptions about military power, while also examining how current conflicts are reshaping defense priorities.

The episode also covers defense acquisitions, scaling a startup in the national security ecosystem, and the importance of staying closely connected to operators in the field.

Throughout the conversation, Brett offers an operator’s perspective on where defense technology is heading and what founders should understand before building for the Department of Defense.

Yadin Soffer, co-founder and CEO of Traysar Industries, joins Steve to discuss why the future of warfare may be shifting beneath the surface.

Yadin on X: https://x.com/yadinsoffer

Yadin on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yadinsoffer/

Traysar: https://www.traysar.com/

Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3F1sc8yzQIF9WcdHQ3w7kf

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Subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://thedroneultimatum.substack.com/

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Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/

After building and exiting a fintech company, Yadin made the leap into defense to tackle one of the military’s toughest operational problems: autonomous systems for subterranean environments.

The conversation explores how lessons from Ukraine, Gaza, and other modern conflicts are changing assumptions about maneuver warfare. As the air domain becomes increasingly contested by drones and precision fires, Yadin argues that tunnels and underground infrastructure are becoming the next critical battlespace.

Steve and Yadin also discuss what it’s like building an early-stage defense startup—from fundraising and navigating the Pentagon acquisition process to working with DARPA and balancing rapid commercial development with government customers.

The episode closes with a broader discussion on defense innovation, startup strategy, and where autonomous systems are headed over the next decade.

Defense venture capital has entered a new era.

In this episode, Steve Simoni speaks with Vardan Gattani, Partner at 645 Ventures, about why investors are increasingly focused on national security, how defense startups are evaluated, and what founders need to build enduring companies.

Vardan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vardangattani/

645 Ventures: https://645ventures.com/

Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541

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X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://x.com/DroneUltimatum

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Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/

The conversation covers the rise of defense investing, lessons from Shield AI, manufacturing and supply chains, defense procurement, and why the next generation of defense companies will need to excel across both software and hardware.

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or simply interested in the future of defense technology, this episode provides an inside look at how one of the industry’s leading venture firms thinks about building category-defining companies.

In this episode, Steve sits down with Dennis DeMeyere, Co-Founder and CEO of Autonomous Production.

Manufacturing capacity has become a strategic advantage. As drones, autonomous systems, and precision weapons reshape modern warfare, the ability to produce at scale is becoming just as important as the technology itself.

Dennis discusses how autonomous factories, AI-powered manufacturing systems, and distributed production networks could transform the defense industrial base.

We explore lessons from Ukraine, the promise and limitations of additive manufacturing, the concept of dark factories, and what it will take to rapidly scale production in the event of a major conflict.

We also discuss:
Autonomous manufacturing
Additive manufacturing and 3D printing
Distributed production networks
AI agents in industrial operations
Drone production at scale
The future of the defense industrial base

David on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisdemeyere/

Jason on X: https://x.com/Jason_Zins

Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3F1sc8yzQIF9WcdHQ3w7kf

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://thedroneultimatum.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://x.com/DroneUltimatum

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Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/

Jason Zins is the Founder and Managing Partner of Nomi Capital.

Nomi Capital invests across defense, aerospace, manufacturing, space, energy, and national security technologies. Jason shares how his team evaluates defense startups, why they focus on later-stage companies, and what separates durable businesses from hype-driven investments.

We discuss the current state of defense venture capital, manufacturing bottlenecks, the evolution of military technology, defense software, hypersonics, space infrastructure, and why Jason believes defense remains underinvested despite growing attention from investors.

Jason on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-zins-5317aa3a/

Jason on X: https://x.com/Jason_Zins

Steve on X: https://x.com/StevenSimoni

Steve on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensimoni/

Follow the show!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3F1sc8yzQIF9WcdHQ3w7kf

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://thedroneultimatum.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://x.com/DroneUltimatum

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-drone-ultimatum/

Our website: https://www.thedroneultimatum.com/