The Positive Gestalt From Reindustrialize

The post-conference hype of #Reindustrialize has died down - What was so magical about that week in Detroit? Here’s another thread 🧵 reflecting on the conference - this time on the positive gestalt created by the conference:

My previous thread outlining concerns and cautions can be found here: https://x.com/EthanCopple/status/1806802061247345135

There’s No One Else Coming - and That’s a Good Thing

“It’s up to us. No one is coming to help us. If we don’t make the effort, no one else will.” - Adam Weishaupt

Chris Power, CEO of Hadrian, spoke along similar lines in his opening keynote speech. There was a clear awareness that the manufacturing, economic, defense, and social issues faced in the U.S. would not be 10 year problems, they need to be fixed as soon as possible. The possibility of conflict in the Pacific is an issue that needs deterrence now, not after battle lines are drawn. Similarly, economic relief, quality manufacturing jobs, and a return of the American Dream need to be sorted before the crisis deepens. People were aware of the stakes, the timeline, and the overall isolation from capital and government help (though there are obviously some exceptions).

Perhaps the most hopeful aspect is that conversations were continually pushed beyond restatements of what was going wrong. Rather, speakers or attendees sought ideas for solutions, rather than cathartic venting sessions. Although harder conversations, the recognition that there was not time to restate the obvious and known facts positively oriented both the dispositions and outcomes of conversations.

Nihilism is Not on the Menu

I’m a big believer that action can move the needle of circumstance. It was apparent that others I met were similarly convicted. We can decide to be men and women of history or decide to fade with the ruins of the empire. Even amidst the general nihilism throughout our society, the choice to participate in the Stockdale Paradox (unwavering optimism in the face of overwhelming odds) was clear. Name an issue, we have a guy for that - and he’s going to have it fixed!

The optimism was not an unreasonable or unrealistic perspective. There are still clear ways we can win - as slim as the odds may be. And at the end of the day, everyone was aware of the odds. Nonetheless, since there’s no one else, the mandate to try was sufficient motivation.

Bullish on America

Reindustrialize was unapologetically bullish on America. Patriotism can be a difficult thing in our nation's current zeitgeist; however, the conference introduced a fresh look at the past and future of the U.S. and a pure form of patriotism I hadn’t seen before. There’s a different type of love of country that emerges from seeing an American flag outside of the DMV or city hall than when it's hung on a factory wall. Reindustrialize captured that latter feeling - the populist, industrial aesthetic we fondly remember WWII factories with. Many events or movements that seek bipartisanship or broad inclusion often lose the depth of mission or the radicals capable of creating change. Reindustrialize and the NewFounding seems to have found a chord that captures both - breadth of engagement with those extreme enough to seek change. Between this chord struck by the movement and the actions of those within it, we cannot help but be bullish on the U.S.

Too Many Secret Projects to Count

There were a lot of big names and big personalities at Reindustrialize. There were also a variety of smaller, yet to ‘make it’ companies and ideas. There was a company that solved the very tangible problems of sand filters, another that sold 3D CNC machines, others that sold miniature machining equipment for prototyping and so on. There were also a good number of ‘stealth mode’ startups that were working to solidify their scope and funding. These stealth mode startups seemed to dig at some of the key issues emerging from conference discussions - how to solve Pacific conflict logistics, how to scale UAS and sea drone production, how to reshore critical material refining, and so on. Anduril, Hadrian, Palantir, are all great companies, however, the breadth and depth of startups working on adjacent and complementary technologies was impressive and promising!

Conclusion

Reindustrialize was about two months ago - from what I’ve heard and seen it provided the impetus for a few things:

1) It brought more people into the tent, massively increased our reach, and continued to normalize the concept of reindustrialization. Even in rural Kansas, I’ve had a number of conversations with local business owners, economic development council members and so on. Few had heard directly about the conference, but they saw my shirt, struck up a conversation, and left surprised and bullish on our work.

2) People connect with the vision and dream of reindustrialization. Whether it's an architect or a farm hand, those I’ve spoken to about the future of my work and the conference have identified with the desire to build things here - to move from intangible software to making real things and providing those tangible jobs to the country.

3) The road will be long and difficult - As Chris Power’s mentioned in his keynote address, we are going to have to upend decades of conventional wisdom and rethink how manufacturing ought to work in order to reestablish the preeminence of the American worker.

4) We have the dreamers, the willingness, and the leadership to make this happen. Against all odds, we are going to win. The human resources at Reindustrialize and throughout our nation are more than sufficient. It might not be perfectly executed, but we have the opportunity to reimagine the economic base of our nation to one that is resilient and based on making real things, providing immense economic benefits to American workers.