Open Source Defense

Open Source Defense

In-depth interviews with outstanding founders and builders in the civilian defense industry. Culture is upstream of politics, and technology is upstream of culture.

Episodes

August 7, 2025 50 mins

Marc is the president and CEO of GrabAGun.

  • 0:00 - Intro
  • 0:29 - Why to IPO, and what it’s like
  • 3:54 - Navigating regulatory scrutiny and having mission-aligned shareholders
  • 13:29 - Stock buyback
  • 15:10 - M&A opportunities in the gun space
  • 22:33 - An everything store for guns
  • 24:43 - GrabAGun technical systems
  • 29:07 - Data and analytics in the industry
  • 32:59 - Operational challenges and opportunities for growth
  • 37:03 - GrabAG...
Mark as Played

Tim is the founder of Hoffman Tactical.

  • 0:00 - Intro
  • 0:23 - How has 3D printing evolved compared to what Tim expected?
  • 9:16 - Does 3D printing need a killer app?
  • 14:22 - Opportunities in destructive devices
  • 18:20 - Tim likes anti-materiel rifles
  • 18:49 - Gun designs are dictated by their manufacturing technology
  • 20:39 - Hoffman Tactical’s customers
  • 24:24 - Drones, automated defense systems, and the potential there
  • 35:12 - Commu...
Mark as Played
March 26, 2025 57 mins

Rob is the founder of Constellation Response, the store for gun culture 3.0.

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - Intro to Rob and Constellation Response
  • 4:44 - Why modern civilian comms are changing from the old days
  • 8:11 - The rise of Meshtastic and its applications
  • 18:45 - Acceleration in radios
  • 21:43 - Why Constellation Response is getting into drones
  • 24:17 - Drone training courses
  • 30:01 - The impact of regulation on the cool things you could...
Mark as Played

David is the founder of Canine Defense Technologies, which makes drones for defense professionals and serious civilians.

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - Intro
  • 0:49 - Drone nomenclature
  • 1:44 - Counterdrone tech and the competition between offense and defense
  • 8:42 - Technological lessons from Ukraine
  • 16:16 - Applying those lessons to civilian drone tech
  • 19:16 - What is the FAA getting in the way of?
  • 25:50 - Panics that could drive bad regulati...
Mark as Played
December 19, 2024 103 mins

Jon and Sarah run PHLster Holsters, makers of the Enigma, other holsters, and groundbreaking education about how to carry comfortably.

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - The journey to making holsters
  • 7:58 - What was the need PHLster was responding to?
  • 17:34 - When did Sarah know the Enigma was going to be good?
  • 35:57 - How much of a breakthrough was the Enigma for PHLster?
  • 41:35 - Education and holster fitment as a science
  • 49:28 - What's wrong...
Mark as Played
November 20, 2024 96 mins

Jay is the founder and technical director of Pew Science, the world's top silencer testing company.

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - Are low back pressure silencers the end of history?
  • 4:50 - Why silencers break the FN SCAR 17
  • 7:12 - Pistol silencers are hard
  • 19:21 - What were the breakthroughs in silencer technology?
  • 24:06 - Consumers, not the military, are now driving the silencer industry
  • 44:16 - Is there value in modular cans?
  • 48:48 - The...
Mark as Played
October 30, 2024 84 mins

Isaac Botkin is a longtime leader at T.Rex Arms and the perfect first guest for the Open Source Defense podcast. We talk about the beginnings of T.Rex, whether guns actually prevent tyranny, and future tech in the civilian defense industry.

Timeline:

  • 0:00 - Intro and Background
  • 2:44 - Milestones and Growth of T.Rex Arms
  • 9:51 - Challenges of Growth as a Company
  • 17:45 - Hiring for Passion and Mission Alignment
  • 25:55 - Transparenc...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    The Brothers Ortiz

    The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.