I initially pursued a career in investment banking after leaving the military, which helped me build a toolkit of knowledge before starting my own company.

In the mid-2000s, starting a military-related software startup like Palantir was seen as insane, but it led to a decade of having no competition in that space.

The future will see more dual-use companies, like Palantir, which started in defense but now engages significantly in commercial work.

The most significant lesson from my time at Palantir is that creating a radically ambitious and mission-driven company is a rare and fulfilling opportunity.

There are common threads of initiative and drive across military service, finance, and startup experiences that contribute to success.

Building a mission-oriented company like Palantir attracts the best talent, as people are motivated by the opportunity to make a real difference in the world, beyond just financial compensation.

It's crucial for startup CEOs to spend time near the military units they aim to support to understand their needs better.

30% of product managers who leave Palantir go on to start their own companies, which is significantly higher than the next highest company, Intercom, at 18%.

Successful startup founders often have unique experiences from previous jobs that inform their ideas, as seen with the founder of Salient, who built an AI voice agent for loan processing based on insights from working at Tesla.