The $44B Man Who Shunned Lethal Force | Rick Smith

Rick Smith, CEO of Axon, has a bold vision: make bullets obsolete. With one-third of Axon’s business still built on Tasers, Rick is now pushing the limits of what non-lethal technology can achieve. From body cameras to tactical drones, Axon’s portfolio is redefining law enforcement. Rick’s mission? Build a weapon so effective and reliable, people choose it over guns. On Episode #227 of Grit, Rick shares how generative AI and cutting-edge tech could reshape public safety. Plus, lessons from nearly losing it all, rebranding from Taser to Axon, and why great leadership doesn’t leave broken lives in its wake. (00:00:00) Trailer and Introduction (00:01:08) Tasers vs. guns (00:03:45) Axon’s growth (00:07:47) Biggest surprises (00:10:19) How TASER got started (00:14:22) Reinventing the taser (00:19:07) A humiliating launch (00:25:47) Rick’s family (00:28:37) The Auto Taser failure (00:33:14) The darkest days (00:37:52) Hans Marrero (00:41:06) Family and burnout (00:50:48) Pivoting the business (00:57:25) Axon body cameras (00:59:51) Axon’s current products (01:04:27) Re-educating the cops (01:08:45) Pushing risk (01:12:36) Competing with the gun (01:17:25) Exponential stock plans (01:21:43) Who Axon is hiring (01:22:15) What “grit” means to Rick (01:22:33) Outro