Investing in Veterans, Founder and Startup Team Resilience, and TFX Capital with Brandon Shelton

11/15/23 • 44 min

Join host Callye Keen in an insightful conversation with Brandon Shelton, founder of TFX Capital, as they delve into the unique world of venture capital, resilience, and the unparalleled qualities of veteran entrepreneurs. Discover the essence of entrepreneurial success and how military backgrounds foster resilience in the business arena.
Topic Highlights:
[00:00] Introduce Brandon Shelton
Callye Keen introduces Brandon Shelton, founder of TFX Capital. As the Managing Partner of TFX, Brandon leads the firm’s service-driven investment strategy.
[03:45] The Unseen Role of Founders
Founders play a pivotal but often unseen role in startups. Brandon sheds light on the challenges and decisions faced by founders, emphasizing the importance of understanding their journey.
[11:02] Resilience in Veteran Entrepreneurs
Explore why veteran entrepreneurs exhibit remarkable resilience. Brandon elaborates on the distinct experiences that shape their mindset and problem-solving abilities, making them assets in the startup landscape.
[27:48] The Critical Role of Teams
Uncover the significant role of teams in venture capital. Brandon discusses the key elements he looks for in founding teams, emphasizing the critical balance of resilience, domain expertise, and mission-driven mindsets.
[37:00] Hubris and Humility in Entrepreneurship
Brandon navigates the fine balance between hubris and humility in entrepreneurship. Understand how successful founders blend confidence to change the world with humility to build the best teams and seek necessary guidance.
[42:00] Veterans and Immigrants: A Resilience Connection
Learn about the shared resilience traits between veterans and immigrants. Brandon highlights the value of individuals who overcome challenges, emphasizing their unique perspective and adaptability in startup environments.
"Resilience wins. And we know one talent pool that produces it kind of at scale, but you can get it through lots of places." - Brandon Shelton
Callye Keen - Kform

https://kform.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/

https://youtube.com/@kforminc

https://twitter.com/CallyeKeen
Brandon Shelton TFX Capital

Brandon Shelton founded TFX Capital (TFX) in 2015 with a fundamental belief that the best entrepreneurs come from those who have served. As the Managing Partner, he leads the firm’s service-driven investment strategy. With a focus on Pre-Series A B2B technology companies, TFX provides unique and trusted access to companies founded by high-performing, commercially tested former military and national security leaders building solutions in cyber, defense and healthcare. As a veteran himself, Brandon brings more than 25 years of military, financial, strategy and operational experience including within high intensity and change environments.
Website: www.tfxcap.com

Insta: @taskforcexcap

Twitter: @Shelton_TFX

https://kform.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/

https://youtube.com/@kforminc

https://twitter.com/CallyeKeen
Brandon Shelton TFX Capital

Insta: @taskforcexcap

Twitter: @Shelton_TFX

Previous Episode

AI Defense Manufacturing, Enabling Versus Eliminating, and the Problem-centric Approach with Terry Miller

In this engaging episode of "The Startup Defense," Callye Keen delves into the fascinating realm of AI and generative modeling in the manufacturing and defense sectors with Terry Miller. Discover how AI technologies are reshaping industries and the challenges they face. Dive deep into the vital importance of defining clear problems before seeking technical solutions.
Topic Highlights:
[00:00] Introduce Terry Miller
Callye Keen introduces Terry Miller, Executive Director-Global Advanced Analytics at Johnson Controls, is an experienced Analytics service leader with a demonstrated history of working in the industrial automation industry.
[01:23] Unlocking Manufacturing's AI Potential
Explore the uncharted territory where manufacturing becomes a playground for AI, transforming it into an engineering, IT, and cybersecurity job.
[08:00] Machine Learning Engineers: A Scarce Resource
Terry Miller highlights the scarcity of machine learning engineers and their crucial role in scaling AI solutions in industrial applications.
[16:00] AI as an Augment, Not Replacement
Delve into the role of AI as a valuable augment in production environments, reducing downtime, enhancing productivity, and mitigating staff shortages.
[23:00] AI in the Defense Industrial Base
Examine the unique challenges and vast opportunities AI presents in the defense industry, driven by a multitude of small, specialized businesses.
[27:00] Defining Clear Problems for AI
Understand the importance of having a clearly defined problem before seeking technological solutions, and how this clarity can lead to impactful outcomes.
"In industry, you'll find examples where someone has realized the benefit of technology but then discovered that they didn't necessarily need a new technology; they could solve the problem with existing capabilities." Terry Miller
Callye Keen - Kform

https://kform.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/

https://youtube.com/@kforminc

https://twitter.com/CallyeKeen

Terry Miller - Analytics Leader

Experienced Analytics service leader with a demonstrated history of working in the industrial automation industry. Skilled in "Big Data" applications, IoT, IIoT, Predictive Modeling, Manufacturing Analytics, Engineering, Business Development, Project Engineering, Process Automation, and SCADA. Strong sales and marketing professional with a Master of Science (MS) focused in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-miller-b1333a62/

Next Episode

Speaking Defense Funding, AFWERX as a Catalyst, and Gallium Solutions with Eric Frahm

In the riveting EP031 of "The Startup Defense," host Callye Keen engages with Eric Frahm from Gallium Solutions. This episode unveils the transformative trends in defense innovation, focusing on the integration of commercial technology into national defense. They explore the significant role of dual-use technologies and the evolving landscape of defense startups. Frahm, with his insights from AFWERX to Gallium, offers a compelling view of the future of defense innovation and its impact on national security.
Topic Highlights:

[00:00] Introduce Eric Frahm
Callye Keen introduces Eric Frahm, founder of Gallium Solutions, where Eric and his team are focused on making government collaboration affordable, accessible, and achievable.
[02:03] Venture Capital in Defense Innovation
Frahm notes the growing interest of venture capitalists in defense-focused startups, indicating a mature and investable ecosystem where dual-use technologies are gaining prominence.
[08:18] Navigating the Government Innovation Ecosystem
Frahm reflects on the progress in understanding government processes within the defense innovation space, highlighting a shift from basic knowledge to a more sophisticated grasp of complex government systems, as observed at the Fed Supernova conference. This evolution indicates a deeper, more effective engagement of companies with government entities in defense innovation.
[18:16] Government as a Catalyst in Technological Advancement
The conversation debunks the notion of the government merely being a customer, instead highlighting its pivotal role in driving technological advancements, especially in defense.
[21:17] Prospects of Defense Innovation
Eric provides a future outlook on defense innovation, predicting an accelerated pace of change and the necessity for operational transformation to fully harness emerging technologies.
[29:40] The Critical Role of Manufacturing in Defense
A discussion on the indispensability of manufacturing technology and resilience in national security, stressing the need for a robust industrial base to support and sustain defense requirements.
[31:29] Guidance for Startups in Defense Space
Offering practical advice, Eric urges startups in the defense sector to seriously consider the complexities of government contracting and the importance of strategic planning and team building in this niche.
Parting Thought:

"In the defense space, if you think there's a shortcut, you're heading towards a brick wall." - Eric Frahm emphasizes the importance of respecting the process and commitment in the defense innovation sector.
Callye Keen - Kform
https://kform.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callyekeen/
Eric Frahm - Gallium Solutions
With a successful 20+ year Air Force career focused on aviation and revolutionizing military operations and technology, Eric is focused on sharing his extensive knowledge with our team and clients. Eric was a founding member of the AFWERX Austin team and played a pivotal role in remaking the Air Force’s SBIR process. Eric became a master at crossing the “technology valley of death” between R&D and transition in the government. Today, he’s a mentor at startup accelerators across the country and a frequent public speaker. As our Strategic Advisor, Eric creates broad client strategy, identifies government opportunities, and helps set client efforts apart from the competition.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-frahm/

https://www.galliumsolutions.co/

The Startup Defense - Investing in Veterans, Founder and Startup Team Resilience, and TFX Capital with Brandon Shelton

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:00.300

Founders are still stubborn . I'm a founder , I'm hard to work with , I don't listen so well , neither do most of our founders . But you need that . They need to have this cognitive dissonance where they know it may not work and they know it's on fumes , but they have to ignore that , to stay positive and inspire their teams to go forward .

Speaker 200:00:16.721