#228: Aaron Slodov (Atomic Industries) — Techno-Industrial Optimism and Exascaling American Manufacturing (REWIND)

Nearly a year and a half after our conversation first aired, Aaron Slodov and Atomic Industries have reached an important milestone worth celebrating. Atomic recently announced the close of its $25 million Series A, led by MaC Venture Capital and DTX Ventures, with participation from Narya and others, to accelerate the rollout of its AI-driven manufacturing platform.

With this funding, Atomic is expanding its software-defined factory footprint and advancing the AI systems at the heart of its vision—one that has already moved from pilot to production, shipping parts to some of the world’s most demanding OEMs. At its core, Atomic is working to strengthen America’s industrial base by making the manufacturing of physical goods more localized, resilient, and technology-enabled.

This felt like the perfect moment to revisit my conversation with Aaron, where we unpack his techno-industrialist philosophy, the deep history of Ohio manufacturing, and why the future of physical production matters so much for our country.

So, with that timely update, please enjoy this timeless conversation from the Lay of The Land archives with Aaron Slodov, CEO of Atomic Industries.

00:00:00 – The Rise of Techno-Industrialism
00:05:56 – The Journey from Bits to Atoms
00:10:41 – The Challenges of Manufacturing
00:15:47 – Reindustrialization and the Post-Industrial Myth
00:20:48 – Atomic Industries: Innovating Manufacturing
00:25:42 – Exascaling the Industrial Base
00:30:49 – The Future of Manufacturing Talent
00:40:46 – The Shift in Manufacturing Careers
00:42:50 – Incentivizing the Return to Manufacturing
00:44:58 – Cultural Integration of Tech and Manufacturing
00:50:38 – Defining Success in Modern Manufacturing
00:52:03 – The Importance of a Techno-Industrial Framework
00:56:12 – Policy and the Future of Manufacturing
01:02:33 – The Potential of Reindustrialization
01:05:57 – Storytelling as a Tool for Founders

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LINKS:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/abslodov/
https://twitter.com/aphysicist
https://www.atomic.industries/
https://www.piratewires.com/p/techno-industrialist-manifesto
https://twitter.com/newindustrials

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