Episode synopsis

In this episode of Boldly Go, hosts Rick Smith and Mike Wagers sit down with Hadi Partovi—founder and CEO of Code.org, early investor in companies like Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb, and longtime Axon board member—for a wide-ranging conversation on technology, leadership, and values. Partovi shares how he helped steer Axon through pivotal moments: rescuing its early cloud strategy, rebuilding its software team, helping shape its ethical approach to AI, and even influencing the company’s name change from Taser to Axon. Along the way, the episode explores founder-led growth, talent culture, AI ethics, and the long-term bets that transformed Axon into a global public-safety technology leader.