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Listen "The Drone Moment We've Been Waiting For | Jeremy Schneiderman"
Episode Synopsis
Drones are quickly moving from hobby gear to essential industry infrastructure. In this Hangar X Studios episode, host and ex–fighter pilot John Ramstead talks with Jeremy Schneiderman, CEO of Drone Nerds, about the shift from consumer drones to enterprise, mission-critical systems.
Jeremy shares how Drone Nerds grew from a small retailer into a major U.S. drone partner, and how aerial data is changing public safety, insurance, energy, construction, agriculture, and defense. They cover FAA rules (Part 107 now, Part 108/BVLOS next), DJI’s edge, NDAA and state bans, and why “drone-in-a-box” remote ops could drive the next adoption surge.
Curious where UAS is headed and what unlocks scale? This episode lays out the roadmap.
Episode Highlights
Drone Nerds’ rise to ~$120M revenue.
The 2016 public-safety “aha moment.”
Drones replacing risky, slow fieldwork.
What “drone-in-a-box” is and why it matters.
Part 107 vs. Part 108 and BVLOS, simply explained.
Why DJI leads—and where rivals are closing gaps.
NDAA/state bans shaping U.S. procurement.
XTI Aerospace partnership and what’s next.
Key Points with Timestamps
[00:00:00] Remote ops are near.
Jeremy says Part 108 + BVLOS enable docked drones and centralized pilots.
[00:01:53] Drone Nerds at scale.
A $120M distributor/program manager across key verticals.
[00:04:17] Core value.
Safer, cheaper, faster, more accurate field data.
[00:06:01] 2016 inflection.
Police SAR/overwatch proved enterprise demand.
[00:06:48] Origin + strategy.
Consumer sales → repairs/service → enterprise programs.
[00:08:08] Insurance case.
One carrier scaled from 1 drone to 2,000+.
[00:09:39] Outsourced program management.
Consulting, hardware, software, training, repair, uptime fleets.
[00:12:20] Education engine.
Webinars, ebooks, Elevate UAV Summit.
[00:13:26] Part 108 unlocks new use cases.
Dock networks for utilities, pipelines, schools, DFR.
[00:14:11] Drone-in-a-box defined.
Auto-charge/launch docks for security + responders.
[00:16:31] Hockey-stick adoption.
Rapid growth, paced by each industry.
[00:18:15] New frontier.
Drones for labor tasks like façade cleaning.
[00:19:11] Part 107 basics.
Commercial license + waivers for advanced ops.
[00:24:29] Platform scaling.
Consumer → enterprise → heavy-lift frames (to ~250 lbs).
[00:25:30] DJI dominance.
Reliability, OcuSync, broad portfolio.
[00:27:16] Bans + NDAA.
Security reviews may widen restrictions.
[00:29:55] Why XTI acquired Drone Nerds.
Capital to expand, acquire, and scale.
[00:31:00] Next-year goals.
3–4 acquisitions and bigger share.
[00:32:35] Closing.
If you’re considering drones—start now.
Guest Bio: Jeremy Schneiderman
Founder/CEO of Drone Nerds. Since 2014, he’s built it into a leading U.S. distribution and enterprise-solutions firm, offering consulting, deployment, training, repairs, and managed services. Revenue reached ~$120M; the company is a major DJI partner and was acquired by XTI Aerospace in 2025.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-schneiderman-dronenerds/
About Drone Nerds
U.S.-based enterprise drone distributor and program partner (HQ: Dania Beach, FL). Helps organizations adopt and run mission-ready fleets via sales, consulting, training, maintenance, and uptime support. Acquired by XTI Aerospace in Nov 2025.
Notable Quotes
“Drones replace traditional field methods with safer, faster, cheaper data.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:04:17]
“2016 was the aha moment for public safety adoption.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:06:01]
“They outsource the whole program management to us.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:11:51]
“Part 108 lets us fly dock drones from command centers.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:13:26]
“Every school could have a dock on the roof.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:15:17]
“We’re at a hockey-stick growth inflection.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:16:31]
“DJI reliability is unmatched today.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:25:54]
“If you’re evaluating drones for your business—start tomorrow.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:32:35]
Jeremy shares how Drone Nerds grew from a small retailer into a major U.S. drone partner, and how aerial data is changing public safety, insurance, energy, construction, agriculture, and defense. They cover FAA rules (Part 107 now, Part 108/BVLOS next), DJI’s edge, NDAA and state bans, and why “drone-in-a-box” remote ops could drive the next adoption surge.
Curious where UAS is headed and what unlocks scale? This episode lays out the roadmap.
Episode Highlights
Drone Nerds’ rise to ~$120M revenue.
The 2016 public-safety “aha moment.”
Drones replacing risky, slow fieldwork.
What “drone-in-a-box” is and why it matters.
Part 107 vs. Part 108 and BVLOS, simply explained.
Why DJI leads—and where rivals are closing gaps.
NDAA/state bans shaping U.S. procurement.
XTI Aerospace partnership and what’s next.
Key Points with Timestamps
[00:00:00] Remote ops are near.
Jeremy says Part 108 + BVLOS enable docked drones and centralized pilots.
[00:01:53] Drone Nerds at scale.
A $120M distributor/program manager across key verticals.
[00:04:17] Core value.
Safer, cheaper, faster, more accurate field data.
[00:06:01] 2016 inflection.
Police SAR/overwatch proved enterprise demand.
[00:06:48] Origin + strategy.
Consumer sales → repairs/service → enterprise programs.
[00:08:08] Insurance case.
One carrier scaled from 1 drone to 2,000+.
[00:09:39] Outsourced program management.
Consulting, hardware, software, training, repair, uptime fleets.
[00:12:20] Education engine.
Webinars, ebooks, Elevate UAV Summit.
[00:13:26] Part 108 unlocks new use cases.
Dock networks for utilities, pipelines, schools, DFR.
[00:14:11] Drone-in-a-box defined.
Auto-charge/launch docks for security + responders.
[00:16:31] Hockey-stick adoption.
Rapid growth, paced by each industry.
[00:18:15] New frontier.
Drones for labor tasks like façade cleaning.
[00:19:11] Part 107 basics.
Commercial license + waivers for advanced ops.
[00:24:29] Platform scaling.
Consumer → enterprise → heavy-lift frames (to ~250 lbs).
[00:25:30] DJI dominance.
Reliability, OcuSync, broad portfolio.
[00:27:16] Bans + NDAA.
Security reviews may widen restrictions.
[00:29:55] Why XTI acquired Drone Nerds.
Capital to expand, acquire, and scale.
[00:31:00] Next-year goals.
3–4 acquisitions and bigger share.
[00:32:35] Closing.
If you’re considering drones—start now.
Guest Bio: Jeremy Schneiderman
Founder/CEO of Drone Nerds. Since 2014, he’s built it into a leading U.S. distribution and enterprise-solutions firm, offering consulting, deployment, training, repairs, and managed services. Revenue reached ~$120M; the company is a major DJI partner and was acquired by XTI Aerospace in 2025.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-schneiderman-dronenerds/
About Drone Nerds
U.S.-based enterprise drone distributor and program partner (HQ: Dania Beach, FL). Helps organizations adopt and run mission-ready fleets via sales, consulting, training, maintenance, and uptime support. Acquired by XTI Aerospace in Nov 2025.
Notable Quotes
“Drones replace traditional field methods with safer, faster, cheaper data.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:04:17]
“2016 was the aha moment for public safety adoption.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:06:01]
“They outsource the whole program management to us.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:11:51]
“Part 108 lets us fly dock drones from command centers.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:13:26]
“Every school could have a dock on the roof.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:15:17]
“We’re at a hockey-stick growth inflection.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:16:31]
“DJI reliability is unmatched today.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:25:54]
“If you’re evaluating drones for your business—start tomorrow.” — Jeremy Schneiderman [00:32:35]
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