Goat Rodeo #34 Ft. Jeddoc - FPV Truths, Acquisition Blame Games, & Bottom-Up Requirements

This Episode:The Goat Rodeo crew is joined by Phil Divinski (CEO) and Jerad Watlington (COO), the duo behind Jeddoc, for a brutally honest look at FPV’s on the battlefield, bottom-up innovation, and why the acquisition system keeps tripping over itself.The guys kick things off debating MRE supremacy before diving into the real questions: Why can’t senior enlisted fly drones on major bases? Why are the best battlefield innovations still coming from end users who duct-tape gear together before industry scales it? Why is venture pouring dollars into drones without matching procurement volume? They also touch on Neros’ recent $75 million dollar fundraise and what it signals for the drone ecosystem.Phil and Jerad break down what actually matters for FPV effectiveness (hint: human maneuver is king), why requirements must start at the lowest levels, and how the current top-down system is slowing adaptation when speed matters most.Dave walks through the new acquisition reforms: shoppers, requirements writers, and bean counters under one roof, and of course, Simon questions whether any of it will actually fix the accountability problem.The episode wraps with a shutdown update, a nearly impossible moment where Simon was very wrong on his prediction, and what the reopening really means for defense companies, RDT&E spend, and SBIR reauthorization.Time stamps: 00:00 Banter02:00 Introductions and Jeddoc background8:00 Neros raise and FPV discussion15:50 FPV training and synchronization21:00 Bottom-up requirements23:30 Speed, testing cycles, DOGE approach28:14 Acquisition blame game39:06 SOCOM and acquisition reform43:50 Shutdown updateOur Podcast: National security, defense tech, and geopolitics; serious topics, but that doesn’t mean we have to be boring about it. The Goat Rodeo Podcast brings you three military veterans turned defense insiders, breaking down the biggest stories shaping the future of warfare. Expect sharp insights, unfiltered debates, and the occasional defense industry hot take, because let’s be honest, this space can be a total goat rodeo.Listen on other platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mTJ1oJEgB3rCbQouCL7XD?si=9b2647b843144469Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/goat-rodeo/id1801310605 YouTube: youtube.com/@GoatRodeoPodcast