By playing, you agree to uListen's Terms and Privacy Policy and YouTube's Terms of Service.

The Software Crisis Behind America's Infrastructure

Today’s critical infrastructure—air traffic, logistics, defense—is powered by legacy software. And that’s a problem. In this episode, recorded live at the a16z American Dynamism Summit, a16z partner Leila Hay sits down with Phillip Buckendorf, CEO of Air Space Intelligence, and Lt. Gen. Leonard J. Kosinski (Ret.), ASI’s Chief Strategy Officer and former Director for Logistics of the Joint Staff for the Pentagon. They explore why software is now a weapon system, how dual-use tech can harden both civilian and military infrastructure, and what happens if we don’t modernize fast enough. Timecodes: 00:00: The Urgency of Modernizing Software 00:45: Founding ASI and the State of Software in Logistics 07:08: Challenges in the Aviation Industry 11:00: The Philosophy Problem in Software Modernization 17:22: Proven Software Solutions for Modernization 19:57: Expanding into Contested Logistics 20:25: Understanding Contested Logistics 21:08: Military Perspective on Logistics Vulnerabilities 21:55: Logistics as a Competitive Advantage 25:51: Dual-Use Capabilities in Logistics 30:00: Modernizing DoD Logistics 36:07: The Future of AI in Logistics 38:59: Risks of Not Modernizing Logistics Resources: Find Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipbuckendorf/?locale=en_US Find Lieutenant General Leonard J Kosinsk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljkosinski/ Find Leila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilahay/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Phillip BuckendorfguestLeonard J. KosinskiguestLeila Hayhost

Apr 28, 202543mWatch on YouTube ↗

Summaries, chapters, transcripts, and FAQs on this page are made by uListen, not YouTube.

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 28, 2025
Duration: 43m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Today’s critical infrastructure—air traffic, logistics, defense—is powered by legacy software. And that’s a problem. In this episode, recorded live at the a16z American Dynamism Summit, a16z partner Leila Hay sits down with Phillip Buckendorf, CEO of Air Space Intelligence, and Lt. Gen. Leonard J. Kosinski (Ret.), ASI’s Chief Strategy Officer and former Director for Logistics of the Joint Staff for the Pentagon. They explore why software is now a weapon system, how dual-use tech can harden both civilian and military infrastructure, and what happens if we don’t modernize fast enough. Timecodes: 00:00: The Urgency of Modernizing Software 00:45: Founding ASI and the State of Software in Logistics 07:08: Challenges in the Aviation Industry 11:00: The Philosophy Problem in Software Modernization 17:22: Proven Software Solutions for Modernization 19:57: Expanding into Contested Logistics 20:25: Understanding Contested Logistics 21:08: Military Perspective on Logistics Vulnerabilities 21:55: Logistics as a Competitive Advantage 25:51: Dual-Use Capabilities in Logistics 30:00: Modernizing DoD Logistics 36:07: The Future of AI in Logistics 38:59: Risks of Not Modernizing Logistics Resources: Find Phillip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillipbuckendorf/?locale=en_US Find Lieutenant General Leonard J Kosinsk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljkosinski/ Find Leila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilahay/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

SPEAKERS

Phillip Buckendorf
guest
Founder/executive at ASI focused on logistics software and modernization of U.S. infrastructure and defense logistics.
Leonard J. Kosinski
guest
Recently retired three-star general and former Joint Chiefs Director of Logistics with expertise in contested logistics and defense supply chains.
Leila Hay
host
a16z moderator/interviewer who leads conversations on American Dynamism and infrastructure/defense technology.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Phillip Buckendorf and Leonard J. Kosinski, The Software Crisis Behind America's Infrastructure explores outdated Software Threatens Aviation and Military Logistics, ASI Leaders Argue Modernization Is Urgent Buckendorf says aviation faces interconnected staffing, legacy software and infrastructure problems that are fundamentally software problems, and he blames a broken philosophy of how software is built and procured.

RELATED EPISODES