Are we overthinking the DoD’s valley of death problem?
Here’s an interesting exchange from the Feb 9, 2023 House Armed Services Committee hearing on the future of war between Representative Ro Khanna and Christian […]
valley of death
How were projects selected for the APFIT fund to field innovative tech?
The Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) fund was one of the bright spots from FY 2022. It provided $100 million to […]
DoD’s hands are being tied when it comes to money
Every year, DoD is losing flexibility to put money where it matters most. DoD submits a budget with more than 1,800 program elements (PEs) for […]
The incredible decline of DoD execution flexibility has created the so-called “valley of death”
Here are some excerpts from our recent report at Mason GovCon, Execution Flexibility and Bridging the Valley of Death. Caution: Just how much the purse […]
Sources of defense tech transition funding
Here are some excerpts from the Data section of our newest report, Execution Flexibility and Bridging the Valley of Death. First, we have a figure […]
How the geometry of investing in defense startups is different
Here’s a few slices from a great Venture Stories podcast with Alex Moore, an investor at 8VC and before that he was one of the […]
Epirus’ CEO on high powered microwaves, valley of death, and working with primes
Here’s a conversation with Epirus CEO Leigh Madden on the DefAero report with Vago Muradian. Epirus is building a software-define microwave system that can quickly […]
Podcast: Strategic planning and digital transformation with John Whitley
I was pleased to have the John Whitley join me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss digital transformation, the potential for “as a service” […]
Anduril releases mission document: Rebooting the Arsenal of Democracy
Here is an interesting slice from Anduril’s mission document: Rebooting the Arsenal of Democracy. In the early 1960s, under the direction of then Secretary of […]
In the Pentagon, money takes so long it’s a death sentence for new tech
Here’s a slice of a panel discussion that includes former HASC Chair Mac Thornberry, former USD Policy Michele Flournoy, and Rep. Elaine Luria: Mac Thornberry: […]
Podcast: Commercial space, venture, and DoD with Jordan Noone and Jenna Bryant
I was pleased to have Jordan Noone and Jenna Bryant on the Acquisition Talk podcast to talk about how commercial companies in space and deep […]
Time is running out for DoD with Silicon Valley
To those at Reagan National Defense Forum #RNDF, if there’s one BLUF you take away from the weekend, you should know: Time is running out […]
Podcast: The next-generation of combat UAVs with Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren
I was pleased to have on the Acquisition Talk podcast Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren. Joe is the co-founder of Blue Force Technologies, a […]
Podcast: Mach 5 aircraft and deep tech contracting with Hermeus CEO AJ Piplica
AJ Piplica joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss transportation at hypersonic speeds. He is the founder and CEO of Hermeus, which is […]
Is DoD starting to bridge the valley of death?
… funding for Advanced Components Development and Prototypes (6.4 funding) has increased from 20.4% of total RDT&E funding in 2012 to 30.2% in the enacted […]