Hardpoints
Hardpoints
Podcast Description
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.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The show delves into themes including the intersection of tariffs and national security, the dynamics of startup ecosystems, and critical updates in energy policy. For example, episodes explore how tariffs influence manufacturing and entrepreneurship, with discussions on real-life implications and timely case studies.
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 fiery and deeply personal episode of Hard Points, Mike and Neal dive into the illusion of leadership in American politics, kicking off with a sobering analysis of the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system and why it’s more fantasy than feasible.
They chart the rise of China in advanced manufacturing and warn of America’s self-inflicted industrial decline. The duo laments the Democratic Party’s tone-deaf messaging, misplaced priorities, and inability to meet the moment—especially as the country faces real economic and social crossroads.
Along the way, they touch on everything from trans rights and national security to rail infrastructure and the politics of distraction. Raw, unscripted, and urgent, this episode is a call for vision, coherence, and actual leadership in a time of crisis.
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