Join us in this episode as we delve into the fascinating journey of Andrew Kreitz, CFO of Castelion, exploring the intersection of aerospace innovation, defense, and entrepreneurship. Discover the strategic insights behind rapid hardware development, navigating defense acquisitions, and building a cutting-edge hypersonic weapons company from the ground up.

In this episode:

• Andrew Kreitz's background in defense and finance, and his transition from Goldman Sachs to SpaceX
• The motivation behind founding Castelion amidst rising global threats
• How military experience, especially ROTC, shapes leadership and organizational cohesion
• The development and strategic focus of Blackbeard, Castelion hypersonic missile
• Challenges in raising capital for advanced defense technology startups
• The importance of organizational culture, agility, and individual ownership in a fast-moving startup
• Insights into defense procurement processes and relationships with military leaders
• Future plans for Castelion projects, including integration with military platforms and testing at White Sands
• The balance between work intensity and maintaining team cohesion in a small but growing company

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