From the Air Force to the front lines of defense software
Early in his Air Force career, Rob Slaughter saw a problem he knew how to solve: build the software. But the data it needed sat behind classification barriers he couldn’t access. After a year and a half trying to get the software approved, he received new orders, and the problem remained.
That experience followed Rob from assignment to assignment, shaping his work at SpaceCAMP and Platform One and eventually leading him to found Defense Unicorns in 2021. Today, the company delivers software to systems that never touch the open internet.
On Crossing the Valley, Rob joins Noah to discuss why Defense Unicorns started with Navy submarines, why the company takes on services work, and what defense technology founders need to understand about their customers. He also shares lessons on building beyond the lab, working with partners, knowing when to say no, and bringing open source into the Pentagon.
