Dino Mavrookas

And he goes, no, no, no. That's perfect. Come join AVC, let's build this together. Let us support you. It's your company, it's your thesis, it's your idea, everything. He's like, use our resources, use me as a mentor, use me as advisor, and we want to invest in you when you come up with that idea. Wow. And I was floored. And that's a skill. Like Joe saw something in me that I didn't even see.

And he goes, no, no, no. That's perfect. Come join AVC, let's build this together. Let us support you. It's your company, it's your thesis, it's your idea, everything. He's like, use our resources, use me as a mentor, use me as advisor, and we want to invest in you when you come up with that idea. Wow. And I was floored. And that's a skill. Like Joe saw something in me that I didn't even see.

I think at that point, yeah, I was saying I wanted to build a defense tech company. Did I really think it was going to come true? Did I really know all the steps that it would take to get it done? No. So just jumped right in. Started working and started building out thesis ideas. And Vista really taught me how to run a... really disciplined and really intellectually honest diligence process.

I think at that point, yeah, I was saying I wanted to build a defense tech company. Did I really think it was going to come true? Did I really know all the steps that it would take to get it done? No. So just jumped right in. Started working and started building out thesis ideas. And Vista really taught me how to run a... really disciplined and really intellectually honest diligence process.

I think at that point, yeah, I was saying I wanted to build a defense tech company. Did I really think it was going to come true? Did I really know all the steps that it would take to get it done? No. So just jumped right in. Started working and started building out thesis ideas. And Vista really taught me how to run a... really disciplined and really intellectually honest diligence process.

So I was able to structure things and lay them out and say, okay, I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this and here's how we're going to map the universe. And here are all the things that we can look at. And I mean, the military puts out a strategy.

So I was able to structure things and lay them out and say, okay, I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this and here's how we're going to map the universe. And here are all the things that we can look at. And I mean, the military puts out a strategy.

So I was able to structure things and lay them out and say, okay, I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this. Then I'm going to go look at this and here's how we're going to map the universe. And here are all the things that we can look at. And I mean, the military puts out a strategy.

They're like, here are the 14 things over the next 50 years that we're going to be investing in cybersecurity and autonomy and AI, et cetera, et cetera. You're not in one of those 14 things, what are you doing? So I started mapping that out. I actually started out looking at a 5G cybersecurity idea.

They're like, here are the 14 things over the next 50 years that we're going to be investing in cybersecurity and autonomy and AI, et cetera, et cetera. You're not in one of those 14 things, what are you doing? So I started mapping that out. I actually started out looking at a 5G cybersecurity idea.

They're like, here are the 14 things over the next 50 years that we're going to be investing in cybersecurity and autonomy and AI, et cetera, et cetera. You're not in one of those 14 things, what are you doing? So I started mapping that out. I actually started out looking at a 5G cybersecurity idea.

kind of battlefield communications are changing, networks are changing, there needs to be new security. And I just went really deep there for about six to eight weeks. Again, laid out the diligence process. And as in any diligence, the most important part is getting people on the phone. It's having conversations with the experts and saying, Hey, tell me about the market. Stop me when I'm wrong.

kind of battlefield communications are changing, networks are changing, there needs to be new security. And I just went really deep there for about six to eight weeks. Again, laid out the diligence process. And as in any diligence, the most important part is getting people on the phone. It's having conversations with the experts and saying, Hey, tell me about the market. Stop me when I'm wrong.

kind of battlefield communications are changing, networks are changing, there needs to be new security. And I just went really deep there for about six to eight weeks. Again, laid out the diligence process. And as in any diligence, the most important part is getting people on the phone. It's having conversations with the experts and saying, Hey, tell me about the market. Stop me when I'm wrong.

Talk to me about X, Y, and Z. How is this evolving? What are the real needs? And I just did that over and over again. And the more I did that, the more it was like, okay, this isn't a big enough problem to be a big company or have a big impact. And so we ended up killing that idea, turning it off pretty quickly.

Talk to me about X, Y, and Z. How is this evolving? What are the real needs? And I just did that over and over again. And the more I did that, the more it was like, okay, this isn't a big enough problem to be a big company or have a big impact. And so we ended up killing that idea, turning it off pretty quickly.

Talk to me about X, Y, and Z. How is this evolving? What are the real needs? And I just did that over and over again. And the more I did that, the more it was like, okay, this isn't a big enough problem to be a big company or have a big impact. And so we ended up killing that idea, turning it off pretty quickly.

And again, it goes back to just be disciplined, be unemotional, and just make the right business decision. And started looking at maritime autonomy. In fact, a really close friend of mine showed me a YouTube video of these two surfers in Germany. that built a hydrofoil surfboard out of a Pelican gun case.

And again, it goes back to just be disciplined, be unemotional, and just make the right business decision. And started looking at maritime autonomy. In fact, a really close friend of mine showed me a YouTube video of these two surfers in Germany. that built a hydrofoil surfboard out of a Pelican gun case.

And again, it goes back to just be disciplined, be unemotional, and just make the right business decision. And started looking at maritime autonomy. In fact, a really close friend of mine showed me a YouTube video of these two surfers in Germany. that built a hydrofoil surfboard out of a Pelican gun case.