Mission Critical: Building a Startup for America’s Next Fight | The Pair Program Ep72

The Pair Program

Mission Critical: Building a Startup for America’s Next Fight | The Pair Program Ep72

In this episode of The Pair Program, host Tim Winkler is joined by co-host Sean Leahy for a conversation with Andy Yakulis, CEO & Co-founder of Vector, and Larsen Jensen, Founder & General Partner at Harpoon Ventures and Co-Founder of Vector. Together, they dive into what it means to build mission-driven startups at the intersection of defense, technology, and national security.

They dive into:

• The founding story of Vector and its “modern warfare as a service” model
• Building a warfighter-led company culture in Utah’s Silicon Slopes
• Balancing special operations DNA with tech innovation and venture capital
• Core values: Relentless, Ethical, Professional, that shape the team
• Why timing and geopolitics matter in defense innovation

About Andy Yakulis: Andy Yakulis is the CEO and Co-founder of Vector, a modern warfare-as-a-service company. With 18 years of experience as an Army Officer and Special Operations Commander, he brings deep expertise at the intersection of defense, technology, and innovation, building solutions that serve U.S. national security.

About Larsen Jensen: Larsen Jensen is Founder & Managing General Partner at Harpoon Ventures, a $300M venture capital firm backing early-stage technology companies. He is also Co-Founder of defense-tech company Vector, focused on modern warfare-as-a-service solutions. A former U.S. Navy SEAL and two-time Olympic medalist, Larsen brings leadership, resilience, and mission-driven focus to his work with founders.

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