Every week, former fighter pilots and current entrepreneurs Neal Rickner & Mike Smith provide unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in startups, energy, and national security.
All content for Hardpoints is the property of VALOR Media Network and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Every week, former fighter pilots and current entrepreneurs Neal Rickner & Mike Smith provide unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in startups, energy, and national security.
In this episode of *Hardpoints*, Mike and Neal tackle the AI talent wars, Meta’s failed grab at Safe Superintelligence, and the absurdity of their $30B valuations. They critically discuss Elon Musk’s erratic behavior, SpaceX flops, and Tesla’s stagnation, then dive into escalating U.S.–Iran tensions and the risks of Middle East entanglement. All while the planet roasts under historic heat waves — even in Alaska.
Hardpoints
Every week, former fighter pilots and current entrepreneurs Neal Rickner & Mike Smith provide unfiltered insights into the biggest stories in startups, energy, and national security.