Former Marine Corps officer, Harvard Business School graduate, and entrepreneur Mike LeBlanc spent 13 years in the Marine Corps, including back-to-back deployments advising Afghan forces, service with First Recon, a joint special operations task force in Bahrain, and a Pentagon role evaluating emerging military technology. After leaving active service, he founded Cobalt Robotics and later co-founded Foundation Future Industries.
In this episode, we dig into his early days advising Afghan forces, including a green-on-blue attack just 30 days into his deployment after an Afghan soldier saw news coverage surrounding the “Innocence of Muslims” film. We then shift into his work building humanoid robots and why he believes they could eventually replace American troops in some of the battlefield’s most dangerous roles.
If you like this, click subscribe, like and share with a friend.
----------
Support Mike LeBlanc
https://officialmikeleblanc.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-leblanc-20783b114/
https://foundation.bot/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundation-bot
https://x.com/foundation_robo
mike@foundation.bot
----------
SPONSORS
SUPERPOWER
Get 20% Off your $199 Superpower membership with code MIKEDROP at https://superpower.com
NAVY SEALS FITNESS APP | HYBRID STRENGTH & CONDITIONING TRAINING
Train like a SEAL with Mike Ritland's App. Build real-world strength, endurance and resilience.
https://www.coachos-app.com/navy-seals
TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS
Be Your Dog’s Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog’s health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise.
https://www.teamdog.shop
TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING
Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike’s bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog.
https://www.teamdog.pet
SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS
Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog
https://shop.mikeritland.com
CHAPTERS
00:00:00 - Afghanistan Deployment
00:01:05 - Team Dog Ad
00:01:38 - Guest Intro
00:02:45 - Last Book Read
00:04:41 - Biggest Takeaway
00:06:01 - Favorite Quote
00:07:19 - Favorite Childhood Activity
00:09:10 - Ohio Roots
00:10:05 - Hunting and Outdoors
00:13:25 - Military Catalyst
00:14:47 - St. John's College
00:17:05 - Thucydides Moment
00:18:48 - Joining Process
00:19:42 - PT Standards Confusion
00:21:33 - Did Military Deliver?
00:23:06 - First Duty Station
00:26:46 - Arriving in Afghanistan
00:29:27 - Green on Blue Threat
00:31:03 - Innocence of Muslims
00:35:04 - MARSOC Selection
00:36:56 - Accused of Cheating
00:40:51 - Arriving at Recon
00:42:18 - Intel Officer Role
00:44:15 - Bahrain Deployment
00:50:12 - $100K Goal
00:53:40 - Applying to Business School
00:54:41 - GMAT Struggles
00:56:01 - Accepted Into Harvard
01:00:59 - Timothy T. Day
01:01:18 - Veteran Selection Odds
01:02:30 - Superpower Ad
01:05:16 - Harvard Paid Off
01:06:46 - Pentagon Job
01:11:39 - Ukraine Contrast
01:14:20 - Robotics Cold Call
01:17:00 - Founding Cobalt
01:23:00 - Company Overhaul
01:26:10 - Generative AI Disrupts
01:27:42 - Pivot to Humanoids
01:32:19 - Handling Robot Mistakes
01:39:00 - Home vs Business Robots
01:47:00 - Ukraine Trip Planning
01:52:41 - Robocop Scenario
01:56:32 - Robot Specs Reveal
02:01:35 - Nuclear Power Idea
02:08:14 - Beating China?
02:19:27 - Job Displacement Fears
02:21:56 - Wealth Gap Concern
02:23:38 - Hidden Space Tech
02:24:58 - Venezuela Raid
02:26:59 - Space Force Role
02:27:29 - Ukraine Recovery Story
02:28:34 - Building Before Forced
02:29:35 - What America Needs
02:31:54 - Russia Not Crushing Ukraine
02:34:00 - Close Calls Abroad
02:36:06 - Underground Warfare
02:38:59 - Data Centers Role
02:40:31 - Writing the Book
02:42:23 - Title Origin
02:44:28 - Competitive Ego
02:46:41 - Overcorrection Debate
02:47:52 - Educating Aggression
02:53:33 - Aggression's Line
02:56:52 - Gatling Gun Parallel
03:00:11 - Fatherhood's Change
03:02:38 - Letter to His Son
03:04:07 - Strength and Responsibility
03:06:10 - Parenting Mistake
03:07:22 - Faith Background
03:09:36 - Power of Surrender
03:11:59 - Most Grateful For
03:14:39 - Book Release Date
03:15:14 - Closing Thoughts
#MikeDropPodcast #MikeLeBlanc #MarineCorps #MikeRitland #Veteran #Military #Geopolitics #MikeRitlandPodcast #IranWarUpdate #SpecialForces #MilitaryNews #VeteranPTSD #MilitaryPodcast #AfghanistanDeployment #SpecialOperations #FoundationRobotics #HumanoidRobots #WarRobots #DefenseTechnology #AutonomousWeapons #RobotSoldiers #UkraineWar #VeteranEntrepreneur #MarineOfficer #RoboticsStartup #WarriorMindset #Ukraine #Russia #Drones #MilitaryDeployment
