Peggy Styer: Razor’s Edge Managing Partner on Scaling National Resilience and Funding Deterrence
For Episode 4, Season 2 of NEXT, host Michael Sonnenfeldt sits down with Peggy Styer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Razor’s Edge Ventures. Founded in 2010, the firm focuses on high-growth tech companies in the national security and high growth commercial enterprise markets.
Peggy’s journey begins far from Silicon Valley. A math and computer science major—Peggy founded Blackbird Technologies to solve some of the hardest problems for the intelligence and defense communities. Blackbird grew into a premier national security solutions provider and was later acquired by Raytheon in a record-setting exit. She went on to co-found RavenWing and ultimately Razor’s Edge, where she now backs companies in cyber, space, AI, and aerospace and defense that are shaping the future of deterrence and security.
This conversation goes well beyond exits and IRRs as Michael and Peggy explore what it means to build companies where lives are literally at risk, how to unite special forces veterans and technologists around a shared mission, and why she believes the world is at a geopolitical inflection point that demands thoughtful leadership. Peggy also shares her “blue ocean” philosophy—seeking out hard, strategically important problems with asymmetric upside rather than competing in crowded markets—and explains how Razor’s Edge bridges the cultural gap between Silicon Valley and the national security community.
Throughout the episode, Peggy offers candid reflections on partnership, resilience, and the sacrifices behind entrepreneurial success—from nuanced observations about market readiness at exit to personal habits and adjustments that allow her to deliver top quartile results. She discusses the transition from operator to investor, the discipline of management and loyalty, and the character traits she looks for in founders solving mission-critical problems. Whether you’re building in defense tech, navigating the shift from founder to investor, or wrestling with how to balance ambition and family, this episode delivers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at leadership where innovation and national security converge.
Topics:
00:01:48 – Childhood, Navy upbringing, and early influences
00:03:38 – The layoff that sparked her entrepreneurial path
00:05:18 – Motivations beyond money
00:06:04 – Founding Blackbird & solving national security tech problems
00:09:10 – Women in national security & leadership advice
00:14:56 – The role of spouses and support systems
00:18:27 – Building, scaling, and exiting Blackbird & Raven Wing
00:23:33 – Transition from CEO to venture investor
00:26:41 – The proper role of a board vs. CEO
00:30:52 – Razor’s Edge strategy & Blue Ocean investing
00:35:33 – Responsibility in national security work
00:38:14 – Geopolitics, deterrence & asymmetric threats
00:42:19 – AI, China, and the future of technology
00:45:22 – Investment mistakes & lessons learned
00:46:52 – Advice for young entrepreneurs
00:49:20 – Books, leadership insights & closing
Mentioned:
Join this season's philanthropic giving moment where every donation made in Q1 2026 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100 per gift ($10,000 per organization). Donate at www.muus.com/giving.
Peggy’s book recommendation - Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
TIGER 21 is the premier peer membership organization for ultra-successful entrepreneurs, investors, and executives. Through confidential forums and shared experience, members gain perspective on wealth, leadership, and life beyond success.
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