Malory McLemore, Co-Founder and CEO of Stell Engineering, discusses her career path from aerospace engineer at Airbus and Raytheon to founding a venture-backed defense technology startup that is revolutionizing the way the aerospace and defense industry manages digital engineering requirements.

In this episode, Mallory reveals:
- The frustrations that led her from the factory floor to Harvard Business School
- How Anduril inspired her to start Stell Engineering
- Navigating government contracts and achieving Authority to Operate (ATO)
- Why developer tools for hardware engineering is a $10B market opportunity
- Building a dual-use strategy serving both DoD and prime contractors

00:00 - Introduction & Welcome
00:31 - Background and Origin Story
00:45 - Early Career in Aerospace Engineering
01:27 - Challenges in the Defense Industry
01:54 - Decision to Pursue Business School
02:26 - Discovering Defense Tech Startups
02:51 - Internship Experience
03:16 - Meeting the Co-Founder
03:51 - Working at a High-Growth Defense Company
04:35 - Starting Stell Engineering
06:13 - The Problem They're Solving
07:15 - Product Vision and Strategy
08:29 - Navigating Government Sales
08:51 - Going Enterprise and Dual-Use Strategy
09:10 - Current Customer Base
10:13 - Marketing Strategy
10:50 - Sales Cycle Timeline
11:00 - Team Structure and Hiring
11:30 - Go-To-Market Strategy
12:09 - Product-Led Growth Approach
12:17 - Cybersecurity Requirements
12:40 - Major Milestone Achievement
14:25 - AI in Regulated Industries
15:30 - Building Practical Solutions
17:25 - Company Culture
18:15 - Hiring and Open Positions
19:52 - Key Roles Hiring For
20:11 - Future Hiring Plans
20:37 - Future Market Outlook
21:11 - Industry Predictions
21:32 - Investment Thesis
22:00 - Closing Thoughts & Contact Info

STELL ENGINEERING
Website - https://www.stell-engineering.com/

Malory McLemore
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/malorymclemore/

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