BSV Podcast 0093: Wild West Systems

Balerion Senior Associate Aidan Daoussis sits down with David Franco and Moshe Baum, Co-Founders of Wild West Systems, to discuss robotic warfare and micro-missiles. Wild West Systems is developing micro-missiles, launchers, and autonomy software designed for small robotic platforms and lightweight drones. The discussion focuses on how warfare is shifting toward autonomous systems and the need for purpose-built munitions for those platforms.Timestamped Overview00:00 – Introduction and overview of Wild West Systems and its focus on weapons for robotic platforms01:02 – Shift from human warfighters to robotic systems and autonomous platforms02:00 – Future battlefield vision: coordinated drone swarms and machine-driven operations03:28 – Product overview: micro-missiles and drone-mounted launch systems06:08 – Why traditional firearms do not work on drones and the importance of recoil-free systems09:48 – Drone arms race dynamics and lessons from Ukraine13:01 – Limitations of current drone warfare and transition toward full autonomy16:17 – Differences between drone light shows and real battlefield swarm coordination18:45 – Platform integration challenges and fragmented drone ecosystem23:53 – Industry bottlenecks: supply chain, talent, and regulatory constraints30:27 – Hiring philosophy: builders vs experts and focus on manufacturability36:20 – What investors misunderstand about defense startups and long-term thinking41:06 – Culture, team building, and adaptability in early-stage companies44:28 – Five-year outlook for defense tech and procurement evolution47:01 – Structural shifts in warfare and the rise of robotic dominance49:01 – Why startups fail: product, process, and people dynamics52:00 – Market tailwinds and positioning of Wild West Systems54:00 – Kinetic vs directed energy systems and where the company fits55:30 – Ethical considerations, inevitability of technology, and closing thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit balerionspace.substack.com