Anduril Founder Trae Stephens on Our Modern Defense System

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (0:00)
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**SPEAKER_2** (1:01)
When you are pioneering anything or introducing new ideas to the culture, you get criticized.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (1:07)
You do?

**SPEAKER_2** (1:07)
Yeah. Did you hear about that? I didn't find the one.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (1:11)
I found someone I respected and we made it the one.

**Trae Stephens** (1:14)
In a longing view of love, people understand each other as if by magic.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:20)
Nothing in itself is addictive on the one hand, and on the other hand, everything could be addictive if there's emptiness in that person that needs to be filled.

**Trae Stephens** (1:27)
I now know that nobody changes until they change their energy. When you change your energy, you change your life.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (1:36)
I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. This is the goop podcast, bringing together thought leaders, culture changers, creatives, founders and CEOs, scientists, doctors, healers, and seekers. Here to start conversations, because simply asking questions and listening has the power to change the way we see the world.
Here we go. Hello and welcome to the goop podcast. I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. My guest today is someone you almost certainly wouldn't expect to find on this show, and that's exactly why I invited him. Trae Stephens is the co-founder of Anduril, one of Silicon Valley's most provocative AI defense companies, and a partner at the Founders Fund. He operates in a world that feels pretty far from the conversations we usually have here on the goop podcast, but this year, I'm really making a conscious effort to seek out people whose perspectives genuinely challenge my own. I wanted to have Trae on because I really admire Trae for his brilliance. He's known as one of the best investors on the planet, and also for his values. He's a very faith-based man, and I learned so much from talking to him. I think I almost envy people who have faith of that depth. Trae and I cover a range of topics today, including the core mission of Anduril, national security, the formative experiences that shape us, and America's relationship with defense today. Silicon Valley's evolving relationship to religion, which is super interesting, and on how Trae reconciles his Christian faith with an industry built around weapons and warfare, which is super interesting and provocative. Let's get into my conversation with Trae.
I'm so glad you're here. Thank you so much for joining me.

**Trae Stephens** (3:34)
Oh, so fun.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (3:35)
I've been trying to get you on this pod for a while now. I think because, well, when we met, I was really impressed with who you are and when I learned about you and that we seemingly have different points of views on things. And I really have made a commitment this year to kind of index into other points of view. I mean, I think we're probably aligned on a lot of things, but I have a lot of questions for you. And, you know, I guess I'll start with like I I'll go out on a limb and say, maybe my some of my goop listeners haven't heard of you.
So will you just kind of start with that? Who are you, Trae Stephens?

**Trae Stephens** (4:20)
Yeah, I am a I work in tech. I'm both a partner at Founders Fund, which is a venture capital firm, as well as the best one.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (4:31)
Right.

**Trae Stephens** (4:32)
I mean, you said that.

**Gwyneth Paltrow** (4:34)
It's the best one.

**Trae Stephens** (4:35)
It is a very, very good venture capital firm, and also the co-founder of a defense technology company called Anduril.
But maybe more centrally than that, I'm a midwesterner who I've been married for 18 years. I have two small kids, grew up in a lower middle class household and have kind of been on a ride for the last now 42 years of my life. I could never have anticipated that I would have ended up where I've ended up today.