Listen on: Fio (Catholic Spotify) (https://www.play.fio.fm/show/CatholicFoundersPodcast) | Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-founders/id1791895697) | Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5hjTRJo2dY8O4bbLpgXL9F) | YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@CatholicFoundersPod)

Discover why Catholic founders must build hard tech and physical manufacturing to reindustrialize America. In this episode, Silas Mähner speaks with Jakob Diepenbrock (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) —founder of Discipulus Ventures (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) —about shifting from B2B SaaS to real-world solutions, living out virtue in high-stakes entrepreneurship, and finding divine purpose in hard problems.

Join the Catholic Founders Guild Today (https://www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe)

(1) Launch/grow your biz,

(2) Learn the Theology of Entrepreneurship,

(3) Discover Community, and

(4) Transform Culture by making it Catholic.

200+ members and counting.

Join today for $100 a year or $10 a month. (https://www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe)

Curious? --＞ “What is the Catholic Founders Guild?” (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fzXNadXis3y66tc4lgUGW13hQJe8oldrvhy2_kXoYDc/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.l7exrz6b9eoy)

News / Updates:

• Get merch! Check our online store (https://catholic-founders.checkoutstores.com/) here.

• Attend an in-person event near you --＞ Luma calendar. (https://luma.com/catholicfounders)

• Host a CF meetup in your area. Email us [email protected].

Episode Sponsors & Partners:

Our Father Constructors and Associates: Expert owner's representation for parish and diocesan construction projects ($1M–$45M). Protect your capital and run your next build like a pro at ourfather.us (http://ourfather.us) or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Tom Rooney & Matthew Mohlman: Bringing true stewardship to private markets, wealth management, and retirement plans. Schedule an estate health check today at Catholic Founders Financial (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) .

ParacleteVA: Hire vetted, overseas Catholic remote talent across all domains. Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to start your candidate search ($500 placement fee).

Key Moments & Timestamps:

(00:38) Intro: The hard tech revival & guest Jakob Diepenbrock

(03:19) Discipulus Ventures & the hard tech residency model

(04:39) Jakob’s background: Side hustles & Steve Ballmer’s family office

(08:22) El Segundo: The shift toward physical manufacturing & defense

(12:57) Launching the fund: From MVP accelerator to $30M Fund II

(20:54) The Founder’s Advantage: Why virtue creates resilient startup teams

(24:05) Solving righteous problems vs. net-negative tech

(28:43) Balancing daily Mass and prayer with heavy startup demands

(31:21) Finding high-achieving mentors in business and faith

(35:17) Funding magnificence: The duty to execute world-altering projects

(38:14) Rapid Fire: Colossians, Peter Thiel, and Palmer Luckey

(47:01) Outro & ways to connect

Featured Companies, People & Resources:

Companies: Discipulus Ventures (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) , Rainmaker (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) , Numinar (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) , SpaceX (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) , Anduril (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) , Oculus (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821)

People: Steve Ballmer, Augustus Doricko, Palmer Luckey, Will O’Brien, St. Josemaria Escriva, Peter Thiel

Books: The Way (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) by St. Josemaria Escriva, Wild at Heart (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) by John Eldredge

Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24

Connect & Join the Community:

Apply to the Discipulus Ventures Cohort (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821)

Join 200+ Catholic entrepreneurs in the Catholic Founders Guild (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821)

Shop official apparel in the Catholic Founders Store (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821)

Follow upcoming meetups on the Luma Calendar (https://www.catholicfounders.com/publish/post/213880821) or email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to host an event

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe (https://www.catholicfounders.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)