What does John Boyd’s work look like when it runs a city? Mark “Moose” McGrath put that question to Chris Pimentel, the mayor of El Segundo, California. The two of them were classmates at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School.
El Segundo covers about a square mile beside LAX. It is home to space and defense companies, pro sports training centers, toy companies and a growing esports scene. Chris explains how the city pairs clean civic norms with fast, predictable government. The city keeps the rules clear, the streets clean and the talent close, and then lets people build.
A century of making
Chris traces the city’s history, from Standard Oil’s second refinery to Cold War aerospace to the SpaceX era that produced a generation of founders. He explains why so many PhD engineers work there, and how suppliers and specialists on the same streets shorten the time between iterations for dual-use technology.
Speed and predictability
Chris treats speed and predictability as one strategic edge, and transparency is what makes the speed possible. City staff help companies get to yes safely and send truly hazardous work to the right test ranges. When a company outgrows the city, El Segundo works with neighbors like Torrance and Long Beach to keep the cluster together.
Committing the reserve
When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, the city moved to support young founders by curating service providers for them. The episode calls that committing the reserve. Chris also covers the fiscal turnaround from thin reserves and pension risk to a stronger general fund and structural discipline. Vision 2050 rethinks zoning around outcomes, so land use can flex as markets shift.
Mark and Chris also talk about mission command and decentralized command in city government. Mark sees orientation in how El Segundo works. The city’s view of its own strengths shapes every decision it makes.
Which city should borrow this approach next?
Listen and watch:
YouTube:
Apple Podcasts:
Spotify:
No Way Out on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@nowayoutpodcast
Written by Ponch Rivera with AI assistance in production. The full conversation is in the player below.