Ep. 38 - Is Silicon Valley Changing the Defense Tech Industry? | ft. Michael Brown, Shield Capital

Ep. 38 - Is Silicon Valley Changing the Defense Tech Industry? | ft. Michael Brown, Shield Capital

Author: Anirudh Suri September 26, 2025 Duration: 1:00:09

In this episode of The Great Tech Game, host Anirudh Suri speaks with Michael Brown — Partner at Shield Capital, Visiting Scholar at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and former Director of the Defense Innovation Unit — about the frontlines of the US–China technology competition and what the U.S. must do to stay ahead.

Together they explore:
– How China’s top-down innovation model is challenging U.S. leadership
– The urgent reforms needed in R&D, budgeting, and industrial policy
– How Silicon Valley and the Pentagon are reconnecting through defense tech
– Why allies and partners remain America’s biggest asymmetric advantage

Brown also unpacks the decline in federal R&D spending, the rise of defense-tech startups, and how conflicts like Ukraine reveal the power of commercial technology in modern warfare.

Tune in for an insider’s look at the race shaping global innovation — and what it means for the future of defense, technology, and geopolitics.

Follow The Great Tech Game for more conversations at the intersection of technology, strategy, and the global economy.


Anirudh Suri sits at a unique crossroads, drawing from his experience as a tech venture capitalist and policy advisor to frame some of today's most pressing questions. In The Great Tech Game Podcast: Geopolitics, Technology, Business and Global Affairs, with Anirudh Suri, he moves beyond surface-level news to explore how technological shifts are actively redrawing the lines of global power and economic opportunity. Each episode is built around a conversation with a carefully selected thinker, from entrepreneurs and investors to strategists and scholars, who can unpack the real-world implications of these converging forces. You'll hear specific discussions on how supply chains are being reshaped by policy, what the race for semiconductors means for national security, and how business strategies must adapt in a fragmenting digital world. The dialogue is grounded in Anirudh's perspective as the author of *The Great Tech Game*, ensuring a consistent, insightful thread through diverse topics. This isn't about abstract theory; it's about understanding the tangible game board where technology decisions collide with geopolitical realities. Tuning into this podcast provides a clearer lens on the forces shaping your industry, investments, and the broader global landscape, offering depth and context that daily headlines often miss.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Great Tech Game Podcast: Geopolitics, Technology, Business and Global Affairs, with Anirudh Suri
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