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This version has been updated with suggestions from leaders across the Department of Defense and Venture Capital community. BLUF: In WW II, the U.S. outsourced advanced weapons systems development to civilians. The weapons they developed won the war. It’s time to do that […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:21962:"<p><a href="https://warontherocks.com/2024/11/how-to-fix-a-broken-defense-department-to-beat-china-and-russia/"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31823" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/12/03/how-to-flip-the-script-and-beat-china-and-russia-and-fix-the-broken-department-of-defense/screenshot-18/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?fit=428%2C94&ssl=1" data-orig-size="428,94" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?fit=300%2C66&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?fit=428%2C94&ssl=1" class="alignleft wp-image-31823 size-thumbnail" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C33&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="33" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C33&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C66&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/wotr-logo.jpg?w=428&ssl=1 428w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> <p>A version of this post previously appeared in <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2024/11/how-to-fix-a-broken-defense-department-to-beat-china-and-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">War on the <strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rocks. </span></strong></a>This version has been updated with suggestions from leaders across the Department of Defense and Venture Capital community.</p> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>BLUF</strong>: </span></strong>In WW II, the U.S. outsourced advanced weapons systems development to civilians. The weapons they developed won the war. It’s time to do that again. This new administration can make it happen.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“<em>The coming war is going to be a technology war. The country’s top innovators feel that there is a huge disconnect between what the U.S. military ecosystem can produce and what’s possible if we engaged civilians to develop weapon systems for critical technologies. The U.S. military has little idea of what civilians could provide in the event of war, and civilians are wholly in the dark as to what the military needs. As a result, we believe the U.S. is woefully unprepared and ill-equipped for a war driven by advanced technology.</em></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>The only solution is to outsource advanced weapons systems development outside of the traditional services and government ecosystem and hand the development to civilians</em>.”<br /> <strong>Vannevar Bush to President Roosevelt in 1940</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Insane?</p> <p>President Roosevelt agreed, making a series of decisions that, without which, the Allies may have lost World War II.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://steveblank.com/2013/01/14/the-endless-frontier-u-s-science-and-national-industrial-policy-part-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The U.S. outsourced advanced weapons systems development and acquisition</a> in 1941. Within three years this gave the U.S a stream of advanced weapons – radar, electronic warfare, proximity fuses, rockets, anti-submarine warfare, and <a href="https://steveblank.com/2023/08/29/before-there-was-oppenheimer-there-was-vannevar-bush/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear weapons</a> – all instrumental in our victory in World War II.</p> <p>We need to do it again. The incoming Trump administration has a historic, once-in-a-century opportunity to do something similar today and give the United States a stream of advanced capabilities and weapons that will allow the United States to deter Russia and China or — failing that — defeat them in a war.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s how.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31865" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/12/03/how-to-flip-the-script-and-beat-china-and-russia-and-fix-the-broken-department-of-defense/osrd-text/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?fit=1029%2C1363&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1029,1363" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="OSRD text" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?fit=226%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?fit=468%2C620&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31865 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?resize=468%2C620&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="620" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?w=1029&ssl=1 1029w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?resize=226%2C300&ssl=1 226w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?resize=773%2C1024&ssl=1 773w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?resize=113%2C150&ssl=1 113w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?resize=768%2C1017&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/OSRD-text.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Why Radical Change is Needed Now<br /> </strong>It’s abundantly clear that the U.S. defense ecosystem is being challenged by the proliferation of commercial technology, hobbled by its legacy systems and prime contractors, and sabotaged by its own Acquisition system, rendering it unable to keep pace with threats to the nation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Simultaneously, the rise of defense-oriented startups and venture capital firms have proven that a commercial ecosystem is more than capable of rapid delivery of most of the advanced weapons needed to deter or win a war. Companies like <a href="https://www.spacex.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpaceX</a>, <a href="https://www.anduril.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anduril</a>, <a href="https://www.palantir.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Palantir</a>, <a href="https://www.saronic.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saronic</a>, <a href="https://www.vannevarlabs.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vannevar Labs</a>, et al have proven they can deliver at speeds unmatched by existing contractors. Defense and dual-use venture capital firms like <a href="https://shieldcap.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shield Capital</a>, <a href="https://www.generalcatalyst.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">General Catalyst</a>, <a href="https://a16z.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a16z</a>, <a href="https://www.dcvc.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DCVC</a>, <a href="https://www.8vc.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8VC</a>, et al, have stepped up to fund this ecosystem, collectively investing tens of billions in new defense technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But the Department of Defense is organized for a world it wishes it still had but no longer exists. Unfortunately our adversaries no longer allow us that freedom. While there have been innovative DoD experiments in innovation (<a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a> and its <a href="https://www.diu.mil/replicator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Replicator</a> initiative, <a href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3754980/air-force-exercises-two-collaborative-combat-aircraft-option-awards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collaborative Combat Aircraft</a>, and the <a href="https://www.cto.mil/osc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Office of Strategic Capital</a>, etc.), these new structures and initiatives do not yet have the scale required to meet the level of change required. Meanwhile, the overall glacial pace of acquisition and the capture of the status quo by the few prime contractors threatens our nation. <em>In a perfect world, a bipartisan Congress would reorganize the Defense Department to integrate with this new wave of private companies and capital</em>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But that isn’t politically feasible in the time America has left to prepare for the possibility of major war, which may be as little as a few years. That’s where Vannevar Bush’s insights are critical for the present day.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>We are out of time</em>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The U.S. needs to relearn the lessons that worked to win a World War and <strong>outsource advanced weapons systems development to private industry</strong> in areas that startups and scale-ups already lead or could move faster in: AI, drones, space, biotech, networking, cyber …</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Trump administration should <strong>create the Office of Rapid Development and Deployment (ORDD) modeled after the WW II’s Office of Science, Research and Development (OSRD.) </strong>This could build on the existing <a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a> which is already taking many of the right steps, albeit with dramatically greater scale and autonomy as described below.</p> <ul> <li>This new office would be responsible for things that are attritable, software, and have lifecycles of 3-10 years.</li> <li>It would outsource these to private industry focused on specific problems with speed and innovation.</li> <li>This office would have authority to define and issue “prototype” requirements on behalf of the Combatant Commands</li> <li>The Combatant Commands could buy directly from this office.</li> <li>The office would anticipate Combatant Commands needs via embeds, to observe, investigate and prioritize their critical problems.</li> <li>It would also be empowered to select solutions – not on lowest cost but best and fastest solution to deployment</li> <li>The office would have an independent and reliable budget for large scale Acquisition ~15% of the DoD <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_Weapons.pdfhttps://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_Weapons.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RDT&E budget</a> <ul> <li>The office would be staffed with civilian and military talent commensurate with that budget, and with the ability to circumvent bureaucratic barriers to hiring</li> </ul> </li> <li>Winning solutions would be supported with guaranteed production contracts to ensure swift delivery</li> <li>The office would take responsibility for integration and overall system strategy, managing how these systems are deployed, fielded, and supported</li> <li>Major defense contractors would be incentivized to partner with them – as providers of exquisite subsystems/kinetics, integrators or even as acquirers (Tax incentives could be offered to encourage the deployment and fielding of these solutions) <ul> <li>For example, a collaboration between a traditional defense prime contractor like <a href="https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lockheed Martin</a> and a newer technology company like <a href="https://www.anduril.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anduril</a> could generate significant synergies.</li> </ul> </li> <li>The services would still be responsible for long term acquisition programs requiring a formal budgeting processes, extended supply chains, and decades of support. <ul> <li>Primes would remain the main suppliers here – building exquisite systems that require complex integration and decades of support.</li> </ul> </li> <li>We’d be ruthless in going through the portfolios of our military research labs and federally funded research centers, eliminating projects that the private sector can already handle effectively <ul> <li>These institutions would then be free to concentrate on tasks the private sector cannot address, such as fundamental research, advanced weapon systems, and programs requiring timelines of 10 years or more</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31812" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/12/03/how-to-flip-the-script-and-beat-china-and-russia-and-fix-the-broken-department-of-defense/ordd-2025/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?fit=1166%2C808&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1166,808" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ORDD 2025" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?fit=300%2C208&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?fit=468%2C324&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-31812" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?resize=468%2C324&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="324" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?resize=1024%2C710&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?resize=300%2C208&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?resize=150%2C104&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?resize=768%2C532&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?w=1166&ssl=1 1166w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ORDD-2025.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="(max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Goals of an Office of Rapid Development and Deployment (ORDD)<br /> </strong>The success of the “Office of Rapid Development and Deployment (ORDD)” will depend on a combination of clear goals, unprecedented collaboration, resource commitment, and the effective integration of the commercial ecosystem to rapidly solve practical military challenges with speed and precision.</p> <ul> <li><em>Clear Goals</em>: The immediate threats posed by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea provide a unifying goal: to rapidly develop and deliver cutting-edge technologies, advanced weapons systems, and innovative operating concepts to deter aggression or win a war.</li> <li><em>Rapid Deployment of solutions</em>: focus on finding and solving specific, actionable problems (e.g., rapid development and deployment of autonomous vehicles (and defense against them), creating AI-enabled systems, and leveraging commercial access to space.) These solutions must be deployable in the near term.</li> <li><em>Interdisciplinary Teams</em>: Bring together founders, private capital, scientists, engineers, and military innovators from diverse fields, such as AI, autonomy, quantum, cyber, physics and engineering, to address complex challenges. <ul> <li>Finance, contracting and acquisition experts will also contribute, ensuring coordination with Congress and the Department of Defense <a href="https://www.acq.osd.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Office of Acquisiton and Sustainment</a>, <a href="https://www.cto.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research and Engineering</a>, <a href="https://www.jcs.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joint Staff</a> and its <a href="https://www.jcs.mil/directorates/j8-force-structure-resources-assessment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J8 directorate</a> and the Services</li> </ul> </li> <li><em>Rapid Prototyping and Testing</em>: Working closely with the Combatant Commands to deeply understand operational problems, the office will iterate designs based on field performance and immediate needs. Agile Development will be used to accelerate the design, testing, and refinement process, ensuring solutions can be delivered promptly to areas of responsibility.</li> <li><em>Integrate Startups, Venture Capital, Private Equity and Industry</em>: Startups and venture capital will be mobilized to support this effort. Major defense contractors, including Lockheed, <a href="https://www.rtx.com">RTX</a>, <a href="https://www.northropgrumman.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Northrop Grumman</a>, and <a href="https://hii.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Huntington Ingalls</a>, et al will work alongside them.</li> <li><em>Leverage <i>and provide dramatically greater scale to </i></em><em>existing Department of Defense innovation efforts</em> (<a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a>, Replicator, <a href="https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3754980/air-force-exercises-two-collaborative-combat-aircraft-option-awards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collaborative Combat Aircraft</a>, …) build on these foundations of processes and people with embeds to anticipate emerging Combatant Command needs</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Who Should Lead this Office?<br /> </strong>Appoint a head of this office who is – or could become – a trusted advisor of President Trump, deeply understands technology, can look across VC portfolios and select the best domain experts, has a problem-solving mindset and is a charismatic leader.</p> <ul> <li><em>Trusted Advisor</em>: Their relationship with the President will influence policy and ensure that startups and private capital play a central role in the effort.</li> <li><em>Visionary Leadership</em>: Articulate a clear vision for how startups and private capital can be mobilized to support catching up to our adversaries. Inspire confidence and respect among startup founders, venture capitalists, military leaders and policymakers.</li> <li><em>Gain Congressional Support</em>: for significant federal funding for this office. This requires a combination of strategic insight and political acumen to demonstrate the importance of the office’s mission and gain bipartisan backing.</li> <li><em>Focus on Practical Outcomes: </em>emphasize solutions that could be rapidly deployed to the COCOMs. Ensure that projects with the greatest potential impact receive top priority in funding and resources.</li> </ul> <p>Who fits this description? Not many. The only candidates I can think of are Elon Musk, <a href="https://foundersfund.com/team/trae-stephens/">Trae Stephens</a>, <a href="https://www.cerberus.com/our-firm/leadership/stephen-a-feinberg/">Stephen Feinberg</a>, <a href="https://shieldcap.com/team/raj-shah">Raj Shah</a>, <a href="https://shieldcap.com/team/michael-brown">Mike Brown</a> and <a href="https://www.diu.mil/team/doug-beck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Beck</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>A Once-in-a-Century Opportunity<br /> </strong>The stakes have never been higher, and the path ahead demands the audacity of visionaries who can break free from the inertia of the status quo. Just as Vannevar Bush once harnessed the ingenuity of America’s best minds to outpace the enemies of his time, we now face a moment of similar urgency and promise. If the United States can empower its boldest innovators to lead, not as bureaucrats but as pioneers of rapid technological dominance, we can secure not just victory in the wars of tomorrow but the preservation of the values that make our nation worth defending.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The future hinges on our ability to act decisively, to embrace radical change, and to once again make history — not by clinging to the comforts of tradition but by seizing the opportunities of transformation. This is not merely a call to action; it is a rallying cry for a nation that must once again trust its greatest minds to deliver when it matters most.</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1979444167&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:129:"https://steveblank.com/2024/12/03/how-to-flip-the-script-and-beat-china-and-russia-and-fix-the-broken-department-of-defense/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31807";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:1;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:73:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Quantum Computing – An Update";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:62:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:71:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 22 Oct 2024 13:00:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Technology";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31705";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:332:"In March 2022 I wrote a description of the Quantum Technology Ecosystem. I thought this would be a good time to check in on the progress of building a quantum computer and explain more of the basics. Just as a reminder, Quantum technologies are used in three very different and distinct markets: Quantum Computing, Quantum […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:34882:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">In March 2022 I wrote a description of the <a href="https://steveblank.com/2022/03/22/the-quantum-technology-ecosystem-explained/">Quantum Technology Ecosystem</a>. I thought this would be a good time to check in on the progress of building a quantum <em>computer</em> and explain more of the basics.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Just as a reminder, <span style="font-weight: 400;">Quantum technologies are used in three very different and distinct markets: </span><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="28439" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/quantum-markets/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?fit=1010%2C306&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1010,306" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="quantum markets" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?fit=300%2C91&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?fit=468%2C142&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-28439" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?resize=386%2C117&ssl=1" alt="" width="386" height="117" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?w=1010&ssl=1 1010w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?resize=300%2C91&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?resize=150%2C45&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?resize=768%2C233&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/quantum-markets.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px" /></a>Quantum <em>Computing</em>, Quantum <em>Communications</em> and Quantum <em>Sensing and Metrology</em>. If you don’t know the difference between a qubit and cueball, (I didn’t) read the tutorial <a href="https://steveblank.com/2022/03/22/the-quantum-technology-ecosystem-explained/">here.</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Summary – </strong></p> <ul> <li>There’s been incremental technical progress in making <em>physical </em>qubits</li> <li>There is no clear winner yet between the seven approaches in building qubits</li> <li>Reminder – why build a quantum computer?</li> <li>How many physical qubits do you need?</li> <li>Advances in materials science will drive down error rates</li> <li>Regional research consortiums</li> <li>Venture capital investment FOMO and financial engineering</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">We talk a lot about <em>qubits</em> in this post. As a reminder a qubit – is short for a quantum bit. It is a quantum computing element that leverages the principle of <a href="https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/quantum-science-explained/quantum-superposition">superposition</a> (that quantum particles can exist in many possible states at the same time) to encode information via one of four methods: spin, trapped atoms and ions, photons, or superconducting circuits.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Incremental Technical Progress<br /> </strong>As of 2024 there are seven different approaches being explored to build <em>physical</em> qubits for a quantum computer. The most mature currently are Superconducting, Photonics, Cold Atoms, Trapped Ions. Other approaches include Quantum Dots, Nitrogen Vacancy in Diamond Centers, and Topological. All these approaches have incrementally increased the number of <em>physical </em>qubits.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31718" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/quantum-technical-approaches/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?fit=1647%2C247&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1647,247" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Quantum Technical Approaches" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?fit=300%2C45&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?fit=468%2C70&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31718" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=468%2C70&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="70" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=1024%2C154&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=300%2C45&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=150%2C22&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=768%2C115&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?resize=1536%2C230&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?w=1647&ssl=1 1647w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Technical-Approaches.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">These multiple approaches are being tried, as there is no consensus to the best path to building logical qubits. Each company believes that their technology approach will lead them to a path to scale to a working quantum computer.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Every company currently hypes the number of <em>physical </em>qubits they have working. By itself <em>this is a meaningless number</em> to indicate progress to a working quantum computer. What matters is the number of <em>logical</em> qubits.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31716" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/number-of-qubits/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?fit=1892%2C314&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1892,314" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Number of qubits" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?fit=300%2C50&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?fit=468%2C78&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31716" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=468%2C78&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="78" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=1024%2C170&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=300%2C50&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=150%2C25&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=768%2C127&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?resize=1536%2C255&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?w=1892&ssl=1 1892w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Number-of-qubits.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Reminder – Why Build a Quantum Computer?<br /> </strong>One of the key misunderstandings about quantum computers is that they are faster than current classical computers on <em>all</em> applications. That’s wrong. <em>They are not</em>. They are faster on a small set of specialized algorithms. These special algorithms are <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/1511.04206.pdf">what make quantum computers <em>potentially </em>valuable</a>. For example, running <a href="https://quantum-computing.ibm.com/composer/docs/iqx/guide/grovers-algorithm">Grover’s algorithm</a> on a quantum computer can search unstructured data faster than a classical computer. Further, quantum computers are theoretically very good at minimization / optimizations /simulations…think optimizing complex supply chains, energy states to form complex molecules, financial models (looking at you hedge funds,) etc.</p> <div dir="auto">It’s possible that quantum computers will be treated as “accelerators” to the overall compute workflows – much like GPUs today. In addition, several companies are betting that “algorithmic” qubits (better than “noisy” but worse than “error-corrected”) may be sufficient to provide some incremental performance to workflows lie simulating physical systems. This potentially opens the door for earlier cases of quantum advantage.</div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">However, while all of these algorithms <em>might</em> have commercial potential one day, no one has yet to come up with a use for them that would radically transform any business or military application. Except for one – and that one keeps people awake at night. It’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q">Shor’s algorithm</a> for integer factorization – an algorithm that underlies much of existing public cryptography systems.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The security of today’s public key cryptography systems rests on the assumption that breaking into those keys with a thousand or more digits is practically impossible. It requires factoring large prime numbers (e.g., RSA) or elliptic curve (e.g., ECDSA, ECDH) or finite fields (DSA) that can’t be done with any type of classic computer regardless of how large. <a href="https://interestingengineering.com/how-peter-shors-algorithm-dooms-rsa-encryption-to-failure">Shor’s factorization algorithm</a> <em>can crack these codes</em> if run on a Quantum Computer. This is why <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography">NIST has been encouraging</a> the move to <a href="https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/post-quantum-cryptography/post-quantum-cryptography-standardization">Post-Quantum / Quantum-Resistant Codes</a><em>.</em></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How many physical qubits do you need for one logical qubit?<br /> </strong>Thousands of logical qubits are needed to create a quantum computer that can run these specialized applications. Each <em>logical</em> qubit is constructed out of many <em>physical</em> qubits. The question is, how many <em>physical</em> qubits are needed? Herein lies the problem.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike traditional transistors in a microprocessor that once manufactured always work, qubits are unstable and fragile. They can pop out of a quantum state due to noise, decoherence (when a qubit interacts with the environment,) crosstalk (when a qubit interacts with a physically adjacent qubit,) and imperfections in the materials making up the quantum gates. When that happens errors will occur in quantum calculations. So to correct for those error you need lots of physical qubits to make one logical qubit.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">So how do you figure out how many physical qubits you need?</p> <blockquote><p>You start with the <em>algorithm</em> you intend to run.</p></blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Different quantum algorithms require different numbers of qubits. Some algorithms (e.g., <a href="https://www.classiq.io/insights/shors-algorithm-explained">Shor’s prime factoring algorithm</a>) may need >5,000 logical qubits (the number may turn out to be smaller as researchers think of how to use fewer logical qubits to implement the algorithm.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Other algorithms (e.g., Grover’s algorithm) require fewer logical qubits for trivial demos but need 1000’s of logical qubits to see an advantage over linear search running on a classical computer. (See <a href="https://quantumalgorithmzoo.org/">here</a>, <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26850/advancing-chemistry-and-quantum-information-science-an-assessment-of-research">here</a> and <a href="https://arxiv.org/html/2407.05178v1#:~:text=Abstract,-Report%20issue%20for&text=We%20draw%20the%20current%20landscape,and%20several%20other%20relevant%20criteria">here</a> for other quantum algorithms.)</p> <blockquote><p>Measure the <em>physical qubit error rate</em>.</p></blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, the number of physical qubits you need to make a single logical qubit starts by calculating the physical qubit error rate (gate error rates, coherence times, etc.) Different technical approaches (superconducting, photonics, cold atoms, etc.) have different error rates and causes of errors unique to the underlying technology.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Current state-of-the-art quantum qubits have error rates that are typically in the range of 1% to 0.1%. This means that on average one out of every 100 to one out of 1000 quantum gate operations will result in an error. System performance is limited by the worst 10% of the qubits.</p> <blockquote><p>Choose a quantum <em>error correction code</em></p></blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">To recover from the error prone physical qubits, <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.08678">quantum error correction</a> encodes the quantum information into a larger set of physical qubits that are resilient to errors. <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/reader/fa08c638941ee4f8aa4da8c33bb9720eb3d5aef3">Surface Codes</a> is the most commonly proposed error correction code. A practical surface code uses <em>hundreds of physical qubits to create a logical qubit. </em> Quantum error correction codes get more efficient the lower the error rates of the physical qubits. When errors rise above a certain threshold, error correction fails, and the logical qubit becomes as error prone as the physical qubits.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="28485" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/physical-to-logical-qubit-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?fit=924%2C376&ssl=1" data-orig-size="924,376" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="physical to logical qubit" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?fit=300%2C122&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?fit=468%2C190&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-28485" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?resize=362%2C147&ssl=1" alt="" width="362" height="147" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?w=924&ssl=1 924w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?resize=300%2C122&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?resize=150%2C61&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/physical-to-logical-qubit-1.png?resize=768%2C313&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 362px) 100vw, 362px" /></a></p> <blockquote><p>The Math</p></blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">To factor a 2048-bit number using <a href="https://medium.com/@kootie73/shors-algorithm-past-present-and-future-7e5cec292eb6">Shor’s algorithm</a> with a 10<sup>-2</sup> (1% per physical qubit) error rate:</p> <ul> <li>Assume we need ~5,000 logical qubits</li> <li>With an error rate of 1% the surface error correction code requires ~ 500 physical qubits required to encode one logical qubit. (The number of physical qubits required to encode one logical qubit using the Surface Code depends on the error rate.)</li> <li>Physical cubits needed for Shor’s algorithm= 500 x 5,000 = 2.<em>5 million</em></li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you could reduce the error rate by a factor of 10 – to 10<sup>-3</sup> (0.1% per physical qubit,)</p> <ul> <li>Because of the lower error rate, the surface code would only need ~ 100 physical qubits to encode one logical qubit</li> <li>Physical cubits needed for Shor’s algorithm= 100 x 5,000 = <em>500 thousand</em></li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In reality there another 10% or so of ancillary physical bits needed for overhead. And no one yet knows the error rate in wiring multiple logical bits together via optical links or other technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">(One caveat to the math above. It assumes that every technical approach (Superconducting, Photonics, Cold Atoms, Trapped Ions, et al) will require each physical qubit to have hundreds of bits of error correction to make a logical qubit. There is always a chance a breakthrough could create physical qubits that are inherently stable, and the number of error correction qubits needed drops substantially. If that happens, the math changes dramatically for the better and quantum computing becomes much closer.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Today, the best anyone has done is to create 1,000 physical qubits.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">We have a ways to go.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31717" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/quantum-summary/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?fit=1995%2C964&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1995,964" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Quantum Summary" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?fit=300%2C145&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?fit=468%2C226&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31717" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=468%2C226&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="226" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=1024%2C495&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=300%2C145&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=150%2C72&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=768%2C371&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?resize=1536%2C742&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?w=1995&ssl=1 1995w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Quantum-Summary.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Advances in materials science will drive down error rates<br /> </strong>As seen by the math above, regardless of the technology in creating physical qubits (Superconducting, Photonics, Cold Atoms, Trapped Ions, et al.) reducing errors in qubits can have a dramatic effect on how quickly a quantum computer can be built. The lower the physical qubit error rate, the fewer physical qubits needed in each logical qubit.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The key to this is materials engineering. To make a system of 100s of thousands of qubits work the qubits need to be uniform and reproducible. For example, decoherence errors are caused by defects in the materials used to make the qubits. For superconducting qubits that requires uniform thickness, controlled grain size, and roughness. Other technologies require low loss, and uniformity. All of the approaches to building a quantum computer require engineering exotic materials at the atomic level – <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.16437">resonators using tantalum on silicon</a>, Josephson junctions built out of <a href="https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/high-quality-epitaxial-mgb2-josephson-junctions-grown-molecular-beam-epitaxy/">magnesium diboride</a>, transition-edge sensors, <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/nanoph-2020-0186/html?lang=en">Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors</a>, etc.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Materials engineering is also critical in packaging these qubits (whether it’s superconducting or conventional packaging) and to interconnect 100s of thousands of qubits, potentially with optical links. Today, most of the qubits being made are on legacy 200mm or older technology in hand-crafted processes. To produce qubits at scale, modern 300mm semiconductor technology and equipment will be required to create better defined structures, clean interfaces, and well-defined materials. There is an opportunity to engineer and build better fidelity qubits with the most advanced semiconductor fabrication systems so the path from R&D to high volume manufacturing is fast and seamless.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">There are likely only a handful of companies on the planet that can fabricate these qubits at scale.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Regional research consortiums<br /> </strong>Two U.S. states; Illinois and Colorado are vying to be the center of advanced quantum research.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP)<br /> </em>Illinois has announced the <a href="https://www.intersectillinois.org/illinois-quantum-park/">Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park</a> initiative, in collaboration with <a href="https://innovate-illinois.com/qpg/">DARPA’s Quantum Proving Ground</a> (QPG) program, to establish a national hub for quantum technologies. The State approved $500M for a “Quantum Campus” <a href="https://pme.uchicago.edu/news/us-defense-department-state-illinois-announce-multimillion-dollar-quantum-testing-program">and has received $140M+ from DARPA with the state of Illinois matching those dollars</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Elevate Quantum<br /> </em><a href="https://www.elevatequantum.org/about/">Elevate Quantum</a> is the quantum tech hub for Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The consortium was awarded $127m from the Federal and State Governments – $40.5 million from the Economic Development Administration (part of the Department of Commerce) and $77m from the State of Colorado and $10m from the State of New Mexico.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">(The U.S. has a <a href="https://www.quantum.gov/">National Quantum Initiative</a> (NQI) to coordinate quantum activities across the entire government see <a href="https://www.quantum.gov/about/">here</a>.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Venture capital investment, FOMO, and financial engineering<br /> </strong>Venture capital has poured billions of dollars into quantum computing, quantum sensors, quantum networking and quantum tools companies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">However, regardless of the amount of money raised, corporate hype, pr spin, press releases, public offerings, <u>no company is remotely close to having a quantum computer</u> or even being close to run any commercial application substantively faster than on a classical computer.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">So why all the investment in this area?</p> <ol> <li><em>FOMO</em> – Fear Of Missing Out. Quantum is a hot topic. This U.S. government has declared quantum of national interest. If you’re a deep tech investor and you don’t have one of these companies in your portfolio it looks like you’re out of step.</li> <li><em>It’s confusing</em>. The possible technical approaches to creating a quantum computer – Superconducting, Photonics, Cold Atoms, Trapped Ions, Quantum Dots, Nitrogen Vacancy in Diamond Centers, and Topological – create a swarm of confusing claims. And unless you or your staff are well versed in the area, it’s easy to fall prey to the company with the best slide deck.</li> <li><em>Financial engineering</em>. Outsiders confuse a successful venture investment with companies that generate lots of revenue and profit. That’s not always true.</li> </ol> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Often, companies in a “hot space” (like quantum) can go public and sell shares to retail investors who have almost no knowledge of the space other than the buzzword. If the stock price can stay high for 6 months the investors can sell their shares and make a pile of money regardless of what happens to the company.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The track record so far of quantum companies who have gone public is pretty dismal. <a href="https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/quantum-computing-firms-d-wave-and-rigetti-face-stock-exchange-delisting-again/">Two of them are on the verge of being delisted</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here are some simple questions to ask companies building quantum computers:</p> <ul> <li>What is their current error rates?</li> <li>What error correction code will they use?</li> <li>Given their current error rates, how many physical qubits are needed to build one logical qubit?</li> <li>How will they build and interconnect the number of physical qubits at scale?</li> <li>What number of qubits do they think is need to run Shor’s algorithm to factor 2048 bits.</li> <li>How will the computer be programmed? What are the software complexities?</li> <li>What are the physical specs – unique hardware needed (<a href="https://epjquantumtechnology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-019-0072-0">dilution cryostats</a>, et al) <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43588-023-00459-6">power required</a>, connectivity, etc.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Lessons Learned</strong></p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>Lots of companies</li> <li>Lots of investment</li> <li>Great engineering occurring</li> <li>Improvements in quantum algorithms may add as much (or more) to quantum computing performance as hardware improvements</li> <li>The winners will be the one who master material engineering and interconnects</li> <li>Jury is still out on all bets</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><strong>Update: </strong>the kind folks at Applied Materials pointed me to the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1208.0928">original 2012 Surface Codes paper</a>. They pointed out that the math should look more like:</p> <ul> <li>To factor a 2048-bit number using Shor’s algorithm with a<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>0.3% error rate<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>(<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.13687" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google’s current quantum processor error rate</a>)</li> <li>Assume we need ~<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>2,000<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> (not 5,000) </span>logical qubits to run Shor’s algorithm.</li> <li>With an error rate of<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>0.3% the surface error correction code requires ~<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>10 thousand</strong></span> physical qubits to encode one logical qubit<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>to achieve 10^-10 logical qubit error rate.</li> <li>Physical cubits needed for Shor’s algorithm=<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span>10,000 x 2,000 = <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>20 million</strong></span></li> </ul> <p>Still pretty far away from the 1,000 qubits we currently can achieve.</p> <p><em>For those so inclined</em>…<br /> The logical qubit error rate<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>P_L</i> is <i>P_L = 0.03 (p/p_th)^((d+1)/2</i>), where<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>p_th<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>~ 0.6% is the error rate threshold for surface codes,<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>p</i> the physical qubit error rate, and<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>d</i> is the size of the code, which is related to the number of the physical qubits: <i>N = (2d – 1)^2.</i></p> <p>See the plot below for<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>P_L</i> versus<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>N<span class="x_x_Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>for different physical qubit error rate for reference.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31743" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/22/quantum-computing-an-update/surface-code-error-rate/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?fit=2362%2C2362&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2362,2362" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="surface code error rate" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31743" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=323%2C323&ssl=1" alt="" width="323" height="323" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=1536%2C1536&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?resize=2048%2C2048&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/surface-code-error-rate.png?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 323px) 100vw, 323px" /></a></p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1941305739&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> 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It";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:92:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/08/how-saboteurs-threaten-innovation-and-what-to-do-about-it/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:101:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/08/how-saboteurs-threaten-innovation-and-what-to-do-about-it/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:25:00 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Technology";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31578";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:362:"This article first appeared in First Round Review. “Only the Paranoid Survive” Andy Grove – Intel CEO 1987-1998 I just had an urgent “can we meet today?” coffee with Rohan, an ex-student. His three-year-old startup had been slapped with a notice of patent infringement from a Fortune 500 company. “My lawyers said defending this suit could […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18599:"<p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: left;">This article first appeared in <a class="article-editor-content__link article-editor-content__link" href="https://review.firstround.com/innovators-vs-incumbents-how-to-deal-with-the-saboteurs-that-threaten-your-company/?ref=the-review-newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer">First Round Review</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><em>“Only the Paranoid Survive”<br /> </em>Andy Grove – Intel CEO 1987-1998</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I just had an urgent “can we meet today?” coffee with Rohan, an ex-student. His three-year-old startup had been slapped with a notice of patent infringement from a Fortune 500 company. “My lawyers said defending this suit could <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/how-much-is-that-patent-lawsuit-going-to-cost-you/">cost $500,000 just for discovery, and potentially millions of dollars</a> if it goes to trial. Do you have any ideas?”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The same day, I got a text from Jared, a friend who’s running a disruptive innovation organization inside the Department of Defense. He just learned that their incumbent R&D organization has convinced leadership they don’t need any outside help from startups or scaleups.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Sigh….</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Rohan and Jared have learned three valuable lessons:</p> <ul> <li>Only the paranoid survive (as Andy Grove <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Exploit-Challenge/dp/0385483821">put it</a>)</li> <li>If you’re not losing sleep over who wants to kill you, you’re going to die.</li> <li>The best fight is the one you can avoid.</li> </ul> <p>It’s a reminder that innovators need to be better prepared about all the possible ways incumbents sabotage innovation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Innovators often assume that their organizations and industry will welcome new ideas, operating concepts and new companies. Unfortunately, the world does not unfold like business school textbooks.</p> <p>Whether you’re a new entrant taking on an established competitor or you’re trying to stay scrappy while operating within a bigger company here’s what you need to know about how incumbents will try to stand in your way – and what you can do about it.</p> <hr /> <p><strong><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31586" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/08/how-saboteurs-threaten-innovation-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-saboteur/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="innovation saboteur" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-31586" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?resize=257%2C257&ssl=1" alt="" width="257" height="257" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/innovation-saboteur.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" /></a>Entrepreneurs versus Saboteurs<br /> </strong>Startups and scaleups outside of companies or government agencies want to take share of an existing market, or displace existing vendors. Or if they have a disruptive technology or business model, they want to create a new capability or operating concept – even creating a new market.</p> <p>As my student Rohan just painfully learned, the incumbent suppliers and existing contractors want to kill these new entrants. They have no intention of giving up revenue, profits and jobs. (In the government, additional saboteurs can include Congressional staffers, Congressman and lobbyists, as these new entrants threaten campaign contributions and jobs in local districts.)</p> <p><strong>Intrapreneurs versus Saboteurs<br /> </strong>Innovators <em>inside</em> of companies or government agencies want to make their existing organization better, faster, more effective, more profitable, more responsive to competitive threats or to adversaries. They might be creating or advocating for a better version of something that exists. Or perhaps they are trying to create something disruptive that never existed before.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Inside these commercial or government organizations there are people who want to kill innovation (as my friend Jared just discovered). These can be managers of existing programs, or heads of engineering or R&D organizations who are feeling threatened by potential loss of budget and authority. Most often, budgets and headcount are zero-sum games so new initiatives threaten the status quo.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Leaders of existing organizations often focus on the success of their department or program rather than the overall good of the organization. And at times there are perverse incentives as some individuals are aligned with the interests of incumbent vendors rather than the overall good of the company or government agency.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How Do incumbents Kill Innovation?<br /> </strong>Rohan and Jared were each dealing with one form of innovation sabotage. Incumbents use a variety of ways to sabotage and kill innovative ideas inside of organizations and outside new companies. And most of the time innovators have no idea what just hit them. And those that do – like Rohan and Jared – have no game plan in place to respond.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here are the most common methods of sabotage that I’ve seen, followed by a few suggestions on how to prepare and defend against them.</p> <blockquote> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Founders and Innovators should expect that existing organizations and companies will defend their turf – ferociously.</strong></h3> </blockquote> <p> </p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Common ways incumbents kill innovation in both commercial markets and government agencies</strong>.</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Create career FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). </strong>Positioning the innovative idea, product or service as risk to the career of whoever adopts or champions it.</li> <li><strong>Emphasize the risk to existing legacy investments, </strong>like the cost of switching to the new product or service or highlighting the users who would object to it.</li> <li><strong>Claim that an existing R&D or engineering</strong> organization is already doing it (0r can do it better/cheaper.)</li> <li><strong>Create innovation theater</strong> by starting internal innovation programs with the existing staff and processes.</li> <li><strong>Set up committees and advisory boards to “study” the problem. </strong>Appoint well respected members of the status quo.</li> <li><strong>Poison funding for internal initiatives. </strong>Claiming that you’ll have to kill important program x or y to pay for the new initiative. Or funding the demo of the new idea and then “slow-walk” the budget for scale.</li> <li><strong>File Lawsuits/Protests</strong> against winners of contracts.</li> <li><strong>Use patents as a weapon. </strong>Filing patent infringement lawsuits – whether true or not. Try to invalidate existing patents – whether true or not.</li> <li><strong>Claim that employees have stolen IP</strong> from their previous employer.</li> <li><strong>File HR Complaints against internal intrapreneurs </strong>for cutting corners or breaking rules.</li> <li><strong>Isolate senior leadership from the innovators</strong> inside the organization via reporting hierarchy and controlling information about alternatives.</li> <li><strong>Object to structures and processes for the rapid adoption of new technologies. </strong>Treat innovation and execution as the same processes. Lack tolerance for failure at innovation. Do not cultivate a culture of urgency. Don’t offer a a structured career path for innovators.</li> <li><strong>Lock-up critical resources</strong>, like materials, components, people, law firms, distribution channels, partners and make them unavailable to innovation groups/startups.</li> <li><strong>Control industry/government standards </strong>to ensure that they are lock-in’s for incumbents.</li> <li><strong>Acquire a startup and shut it down or bury its product</strong></li> <li><strong>Poach talent from an innovation organization or company</strong> by convincing talent that the innovation effort won’t go anywhere.</li> <li><strong>Influence “independent” analysts</strong>, market research firms with “research” contracts to prove that the market is too small.</li> <li><strong>Confuse buyers and senior leadership</strong> <strong>by preannouncing products</strong> or products that never ship – vaporware.</li> <li><strong>Bundle products</strong> (Microsoft Office)</li> <li><strong>Long term lock-in contracts</strong> for commercial customers or sole-source for government programs (e.g. F-35).</li> </ul> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How incumbents kill startups in government markets</strong></h3> <ul> <li><strong>File contract appeals or protests</strong>, creating delays that burn cash for new entrants.</li> <li><strong>File Inspector General (IG) complaints</strong>, claiming innovators are cutting corners, breaking rules or engaging in illegal hiring and spending. If possible, capture these IG offices and weaponize them against innovators.</li> <li><strong>Hijack the acquisition system</strong> by creating requirements written for incumbents, while setting unnecessary standards, barriers and paperwork for new entrants. Ignore requirements to investigate alternate suppliers and issue contracts to the incumbents.</li> <li><strong>Revolving door. </strong>The implicit promise of jobs to government program executives and managers and the implicit promise of jobs to congressional staffers and congressmen.</li> <li><strong>Lobbying. </strong>Incumbents have dedicated staffs to shape requirements and budgets for their products, as well as dedicated staff for continual facetime in Washington. They are experts at managing the POM, PPBE, House and Senate Armed Services Committees and appropriations committees.</li> <li><strong>Create career risks for innovators</strong> attempting to gain support outside of official government channels, penalizing unofficial contacts with members of Congress or their staffs.</li> <li><strong>Create Proprietary interfaces</strong></li> <li><strong>Weaponize security clearances, </strong>delaying or denying access to needed secure information, or even pulling your, or your company’s clearance.</li> </ul> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How incumbents kill startups in commercial markets</strong><em>.</em></h3> <ul> <li><strong>Rent Seeking via regulatory bodies</strong> (e.g. <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2013/05/tom--wheeler-federal-communications-commission.html">FCC</a>, <a href="http://www.thenation.com/blog/172147/secret-money-lobbyists-fight-sec-disclosure-rule">SEC</a>, <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/">FTC</a>, <a href="https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/faa-spacex-regulatory-dispute-simmers-on-as-sides-dig-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAA</a>, Public Utility, Taxi/Insurance Commissions, School Boards, etc, …) Use government regulation to keep out new entrants who have more innovative business models (or delay them so the incumbents can catch up).</li> <li><strong>Rent Seeking via</strong> <strong>local, state and federal laws</strong> (e.g. occupational licensing, car dealership laws, grants, subsidies, or tariff protection). Use arguments – from public safety, to lack of quality, or loss of jobs – to lobby against the new entrants.</li> <li><strong>Rent Seeking via courts</strong> to tie up and exhaust a startup’s limited financial resources.</li> <li><strong>Rent Seeking via</strong> <strong>proprietary interfaces</strong> (e.g. John Deere tractor interfaces…)</li> <li><strong>Poison startup financing sources. </strong>Telling VCs the incumbents already own the market. Tell Government funders the company is out of cash.</li> <li><strong>Legal kickbacks</strong>, like discounts, SPIFs, Co-advertising (e.g. Intel and Microsoft for x86 processors/Windows).</li> <li><strong>State Attorney General complaints </strong>to tie up startup resources</li> <li><strong>Create fake benchmark groups or greenwash groups</strong> to prove existing solution is better or that new solution is worse.</li> </ul> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Innovators Survival Checklist<br /> </strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;">There is no magic bullet I could have offered Rohan or Jared to defend against every possible move an incumbent might make. However, if they had realized that incumbents wouldn’t welcome them, they (and you) might have considered the suggestions below on how to prepare for innovation saboteurs.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>In both government and commercial markets:</strong></p> <ul style="font-weight: 400;"> <li><strong>Map the order of battle. </strong>Understand how the money flows and who controls budget, headcount and organizational design. Understand who has political, regulator, leadership influence and where they operate.</li> <li><strong>Understand saboteurs and their motivation</strong>. Co-opt them. Turn them into advocates – (this works with skeptics). Isolate them – with facts. Get them removed from their job (preferably by promoting them to another area.)</li> <li><strong>Build an insurgent team</strong>. A technologist, visionary, champion, allies, proxies, etc. The insurgency grows over time.</li> <li><strong>Avoid publicly belittling incumbents</strong>. Do not say, “They don’t get it.” That will embarrass, infuriate and ultimately motivate them to put you out of business.</li> <li><strong>Avoid early slideware</strong>. Instead focus on delivering successful minimal viable products which demonstrate feasibility and a validated requirement.</li> <li><strong>Build evidence of your technical, managerial and operational excellence</strong>. Build Minimal Viable Products (MVPs) that illustrate that you understand a customer or stakeholders problem, have the resources to solve it, and a path to deployment.</li> <li><strong>If possible, communicate and differentiate your innovation as incremental innovation. </strong>Point out that over time it’s disruptive.</li> <li><strong>Go after rapid scale of a passionate customer who values the disruption</strong> e.g. INDOPACOM; or Uber and Airbnb, Tesla in the commercial world</li> <li><strong>Ally with larger partners who see you as a way to break the incumbents’ lock on the market</strong>. i.e. <a href="http://www.palantir.com/">Palantir</a> and the intelligence agencies <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/08/palantir/">versus the Army</a> and in industry, <a href="http://www-01.ibm.com/software/city-operations/defense-national-security/index.html">IBM’s i2</a>, / Textron Systems <a href="http://www.overwatch.com/">Overwatch.</a></li> </ul> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>In commercial markets:</strong></h3> <ul style="font-weight: 400;"> <li><strong>Figure out an “under the radar” strategy</strong> that doesn’t attract incumbents’ lawsuits, regulations or laws when you have limited resources to fight back.</li> <li><strong>Patent strategy</strong>. Build a defensive patent portfolio and strategy? And consider an offensive one, buying patents you think incumbents may infringe.</li> <li><strong>Pick early markets where the rent seekers are weakest and scale. </strong>For example, pick target markets with no national or state lobbying influence. i.e. Craigslist versus newspapers, Netflix versus video rental chains, Amazon versus bookstores, etc.</li> <li><strong>When you get scale and raise a large financing round, take the battle to the incumbents</strong>. Strategies at this stage include hiring your own lobbyists, or working with peers in your industry to build your own influence and political action groups.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Jared is still trying to get senior leadership to understand that the clock is ticking, and internal R&D efforts and current budget allocation won’t be sufficient or timely. He’s building a larger coalition for change, but the inertia for the status quo is overwhelming.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Rohan’s company was lucky. After months of scrambling (and tens of thousands of dollars), they ended up buying a patent portfolio from a defunct startup and were able to use it to convince the Fortune 500 company to drop their lawsuit.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I hope they both succeed.</p> <blockquote><p><strong>What have you found to be effective in taking on incumbents?</strong></p></blockquote> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="95" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1933475717&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:97:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/08/how-saboteurs-threaten-innovation-and-what-to-do-about-it/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"5";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31578";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:3;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:74:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:8:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:46:"What Does Product Market Fit Sound Like? This.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/05/what-does-product-market-fit-sound-like-this/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:88:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/05/what-does-product-market-fit-sound-like-this/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sat, 05 Oct 2024 18:44:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"Customer Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31652";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:312:"I got a call from an ex-student asking me “how do you know when you found product market fit?” There’s been lots of words written about it, but no actual recordings of the moment. I remembered I had saved this 90 second, 26 year-old audio file because this is when I knew we had found […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:9:"enclosure";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:3:"url";s:58:"https://steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NIEL.wav";s:6:"length";s:7:"3815504";s:4:"type";s:9:"audio/wav";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:3525:"<p>I got a call from an ex-student asking me “how do you know when you found product market fit?”</p> <p>There’s been lots of words written about it, but no actual recordings of the moment.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31665" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/10/05/what-does-product-market-fit-sound-like-this/product-market-fit-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="product market fit" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31665" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/product-market-fit.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> <p>I remembered I had saved this 90 second, 26 year-old audio file because this is when I knew we had found it at Epiphany.</p> <p>The speaker was the the Chief Financial Officer of a company called Visio, subsequently acquired by Microsoft</p> <p>I played it for her and I think it provided some clarity.</p> <!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');</script><![endif]--> <audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-31652-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/wav" src="https://steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NIEL.wav?_=1" /><a href="https://steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NIEL.wav">https://steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NIEL.wav</a></audio> <p>It’s worth a listen.</p> <p>If you can’t hear the audio click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/15anS5ufUFayyKkmiVPit5TXSElzc_9y0/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a><br /> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1930910339&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe></p> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:84:"https://steveblank.com/2024/10/05/what-does-product-market-fit-sound-like-this/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"3";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31652";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:4;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:85:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"How To Find Your Customer In the Dept of Defense – The Directory of DoD Program Executive Offices";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 17 Sep 2024 13:00:59 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:5:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"Air Force";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:2;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"Hacking For Defense";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:3;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:4;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:"Navy";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31481";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:308:"Finding a customer for your product in the Department of Defense is hard: Who should you talk to? How do you get their attention? How do you know if they have money to spend on your product? It almost always starts with a Program Executive Office. The Department of Defense (DoD) no longer owns all […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17879:"<p>Finding a customer for your product in the Department of Defense is hard: Who should you talk to? How do you get their attention?</p> <div id="attachment_31539" style="width: 217px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31539" data-attachment-id="31539" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/buds-training-team/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?fit=2669%2C1683&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2669,1683" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Looking for customers in the DoD</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?fit=300%2C189&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?fit=468%2C295&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31539 " src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=207%2C130&ssl=1" alt="" width="207" height="130" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=300%2C189&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=1024%2C646&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=150%2C95&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=768%2C484&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=1536%2C969&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?resize=2048%2C1291&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/BUDs-training-team.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-31539" class="wp-caption-text">Looking for DoD customers</p></div> <p>How do you know if they have money to spend on your product?</p> <p>It almost always starts with a Program Executive Office.</p> <hr /> <p>The Department of Defense (DoD) no longer owns all the technologies, products and services to deter or win a war – e.g. AI, autonomy, drones, biotech, access to space, cyber, semiconductors, new materials, etc.</p> <p>Today, a new class of startups are attempting to sell these products to the Defense Department. Amazingly, there is no single DoD-wide phone book available to startups of who to call in the Defense Department.</p> <p>So I wrote one.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Think of the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOZzQ-elodazM8kG8cXA5mgx21R4WUg9/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PEO Directory</a> linked below as a “Who buys in the government?” phone book.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The DoD buys hundreds of billions of dollars of products and services per year, and nearly all of these purchases are managed by Program Executive Offices. A Program Executive Office may be responsible for a specific program (e.g., the Joint Strike Fighter) or for an entire portfolio of similar programs (e.g., the Navy Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services). PEOs define requirements and their Contracting Officers buy things (handling the formal purchasing, issuing requests for proposals (RFPs), and signing contracts with vendors.) Program Managers (PMs) work with the PEO and manage subsets of the larger program.</p> <p>Existing defense contractors know who these organizations are and have teams of people tracking budgets and contracts. But startups? Most startups don’t have a clue where to start.</p> <p>This is a classic case of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_asymmetry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">information asymmetry</a> and it’s not healthy for the Department of Defense or the nascent startup defense ecosystem.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">That’s why I put this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOZzQ-elodazM8kG8cXA5mgx21R4WUg9/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PEO Directory</a> together.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This first version of the directory lists 75 Program Executive Offices and their Program Executive Officers and Program/Project Managers.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Each Program Executive <em>Office</em> is headed by a Program Executive <em>Officer</em> who is a high ranking official – either a member of the military or a high ranking civilian – responsible for the cost, schedule, and performance of a major system, or portfolio of systems, some worth billions of dollars.</p> <p>Below is a summary of 75 Program Executive Offices in the Department of Defense.</p> <p>You can download the full 64-page document of Program Executive Offices and Officers with all 602 names <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOZzQ-elodazM8kG8cXA5mgx21R4WUg9/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOZzQ-elodazM8kG8cXA5mgx21R4WUg9/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31488" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/directory-of-dod-peos-v0-8-page-1/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-1.png?fit=2550%2C2684&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2550,2684" data-comments-opened="1" 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data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/directory-of-dod-peos-v0-8-page-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?fit=2532%2C2700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2532,2700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Directory of DoD PEOs v0.8 page 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?fit=281%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?fit=468%2C499&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31489 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=468%2C499&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="499" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=960%2C1024&ssl=1 960w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=281%2C300&ssl=1 281w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=141%2C150&ssl=1 141w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=768%2C819&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=1440%2C1536&ssl=1 1440w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-2.png?resize=1921%2C2048&ssl=1 1921w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eOZzQ-elodazM8kG8cXA5mgx21R4WUg9/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31490" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/directory-of-dod-peos-v0-8-page-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?fit=2537%2C901&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2537,901" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Directory of DoD PEOs v0.8 page 3" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?fit=300%2C107&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?fit=468%2C166&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31490 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=468%2C166&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="166" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=1024%2C364&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=300%2C107&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=150%2C53&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=768%2C273&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=1536%2C546&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?resize=2048%2C727&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Directory-of-DoD-PEOs-v0.8-page-3.png?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a><strong>Caveats<br /> </strong>Do not depend on this document for accuracy or completeness.<br /> It is likely incomplete and contains errors.<br /> Military officers typically change jobs every few years.<br /> Program Offices get closed and new ones opened as needed.</p> <p>This means this document was out of date the day it was written. Still it represents an invaluable starting point for startups looking to work with DoD.</p> <p><strong>How to Use The PEO Directory As Part of A Go-To-Market Strategy<br /> </strong>While it’s helpful to know what Program Executive Offices exist and who staffs them, it’s even better to know where the money is, what it’s being spent on, and whether the budget is increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The best place to start is by looking through an overview of the entire defense budget <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Then search for those programs in the linked PEO Directory. You can get an idea whether that program has $ Billions, or $ Millions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Next, take a look at the <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Budget-Materials/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget documents</a> released by the DoD Comptroller –<br /> particularly the <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_p1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">P-1 (Procurement</a>) and R-1 (<a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_r1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">R&D</a>) budget documents.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Combining <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/FY2025_p1.pdf">the budget document</a> with this PEO directory helps you narrow down which of the 75 Program Executive Offices and 500+ program managers to call on.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">With some practice you can translate the topline, account, or Program Element (PE) Line changes into a sales Go-To-Market strategy, or at least a hypothesis of who to call on.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Armed with the program description (it’s full of jargon and 9-12 months out of date) and the Excel download <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/p1.xlsx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and the Appendix <a href="https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2025/p1_display.xlsx">here</a> –– you can identify targets for sales calls with DoD where your product has the best chance of fitting in.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The people and organizations in this list change more frequently than the money.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Knowing the people is helpful only after you understand their priorities — and money is the best proxy for that.</p> <p><strong>Future Work<br /> </strong>Ultimately we want to give startups not only who to call on, and who has the money, but which Program Offices are receptive to new entrants. And which have converted to portfolio management, which have tried OTA contracts, as well as highlighting those who are doing something novel with metrics or outcomes.</p> <p>Going forward this project will be kept updated by the <a href="https://gordianknot.stanford.edu">Stanford Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation</a>.</p> <p>In the meantime send updates, corrections and comments to sblank@stanford.edu</p> <p><strong>Credit Where Credit Is Due<br /> </strong>Clearly, the U.S. government intends to communicate this information. They have published links to DoD organizations <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Resources/Military-Departments/A-Z-List/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, even <a href="https://www.defense.gov/Resources/Military-Departments/A-Z-List/?tab=Social%20Media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing DoD social media accounts</a>. But the list is fragmented and irregularly updated. Consequently, this type of directory has not existed in a usable format – until now.<br /> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1919576798&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe></p> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:104:"https://steveblank.com/2024/09/17/the-directory-of-dod-program-executive-offices-and-officers-peos/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31481";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:5;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:73:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:44:"Security Clearances at the Speed of Startups";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:79:"https://steveblank.com/2024/08/13/security-clearances-at-the-speed-of-startups/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:88:"https://steveblank.com/2024/08/13/security-clearances-at-the-speed-of-startups/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 13 Aug 2024 13:00:40 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31397";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:308:"Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for almost a year. And if you can’t pass a security clearance your offer is rescinded. Or you get offered an internship but can’t work on the most interesting part of the project. Sounds like […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10534:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">Imagine you got a job offer from a company but weren’t allowed to start work – or get paid – for almost a year. And if you can’t pass a security clearance your offer is rescinded. Or you get offered an internship but can’t work on the most interesting part of the project. Sounds like a nonstarter. Well that’s the current process if you want to work for companies or government agencies that work on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">classified</a> programs.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">One Silicon Valley company, <a href="https://www.palantir.com/">Palantir</a>, is trying to change that and shorten the time between getting hired and doing productive work. Here’s why and how.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Over the last five years more of my students have understood that Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine and strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China mean that the world is no longer a stable and safe place. This has convinced many of them to work on national security problems in defense startups.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">However, many of those companies and government agencies require you to work on projects with sensitive information the government wants to protect. These are called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information">classified </a>programs. To get hired, and to work on them, you need to first pass a government security clearance. (A security clearance is how the government learns whether you are trustworthy enough to keep secrets and not damage national security.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For jobs at most defense startups/contractors or national security agencies, instead of starting work with your offer letter, you’d instead receive a “conditional” job offer – that’s a fancy way to say, “we want you to work here, but you need to wait 3 to 9 months without pay until you start, and if you can’t pass the security clearance we won’t hire you.” That’s a pretty high bar for students who have lots of other options for where to work.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Types of Security Clearances<br /> </strong>The time it takes for the clearance process depends on the thoroughness and how deeply the government investigates your background. That’s directly related to how classified will be the work you will be doing. The three primary levels of classification (from least to greatest) are Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. <a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31399" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/08/13/security-clearances-at-the-speed-of-startups/dall%c2%b7e-2024-08-11-13-38-57-a-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-top-secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles-the-person-is/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="DALL·E 2024-08-11 13.38.57 – A person anxiously waiting to receive a Top Secret security clearance, depicted in a surreal environment filled with numerous obstacles. The person is" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31399" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-08-11-13.38.57-A-person-anxiously-waiting-to-receive-a-Top-Secret-security-clearance-depicted-in-a-surreal-environment-filled-with-numerous-obstacles.-The-person-is.webp?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>The type and depth of background investigations to get a security clearance depends on what level of classified information you will be working with. For example, if you just need access to Confidential or Secret material they would do a <a href="https://www.ekentech.com/national-agency-check-with-law-and-credit">National Agency Check with Law and Credit (NACLC).</a> The government will look at the FBI’s criminal history repository, do a credit check, and a check with your local law enforcement agencies. This can take a relatively short time (~3 months).</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand if you’re going to work on a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_compartmented_information">Top Secret/SCI</a> project, this requires a more extensive (and much longer ~6-9 months) background check called a <a href="https://acqnotes.com/acqnote/careerfields/single-scope-background-investigation">Single Scope Background Investigation</a> (SSBI). Some types of clearances also require you to take a polygraph (lie-detector) test.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How Does the Government “Clear” you?<br /> </strong>The <a href="https://www.dcsa.mil/About/">National Background Investigation Services</a> (NBIS) is the government agency that will investigate your background. They will ask about your:</p> <ul style="font-weight: 400;"> <li>Drugs and Alcohol (hard drugs, addiction, chronic drinking, etc.)</li> <li>Criminal conduct (felonies..)</li> <li>Financial stability (they’ll run a Credit Bureau Report)</li> <li>How you’ve used IT systems (e.g. have you hacked any?)</li> <li>United States allegiance</li> <li>Foreign influence (do you own property overseas? Foreign investments, etc.)</li> <li>Psychological conditions and personal behavior.</li> <li>Travel History (have you lived or gone to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, etc.)</li> <li>Plus, they will talk to your friends, relatives, current and ex-significant others, etc. to learn more about you</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Palantir’s Accelerated Student Clearance Plan<br /> </strong>Palantir wants their interns and new hires to hit the ground running and work on the toughest and most interesting government problems from day one. However, these types of problems require having a security clearance. The problem is that today, all companies start an application for a security clearance the day you show up for work.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Palantir’s idea? If you get an internship or full-time offer from Palantir <em>while you’re still in school</em>, they will immediately employ you as a contractor. This will let them start your security clearance process while in school <em>before</em> you show up for work. That means you will be cleared ~9 months later in time for your first day on the job. Think of this like a college early admissions program. (If you’re interning, Palantir will hold your clearance for you if you come back to Palantir the following year.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Why Do This?<br /> </strong>Obviously this is a long-term strategic investment in Palantir’s college talent, but it also affects the entire defense ecosystem – to create a broader team of America’s best engineers who are able to support our country’s most critical missions. 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How an organization reacts to this type of disruption determines whether they adapt or die. I’ve been working with a large organization whose very existence is being challenged by an […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:35255:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">Seemingly overnight, disruption has allowed challengers to threaten the dominance of companies and government agencies as many of their existing systems have now been leapfrogged. How an organization reacts to this type of disruption determines whether they adapt or die.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31280" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/dall%c2%b7e-2024-07-26-18-25-42-a-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="bustling innovation theater filled with creative individuals and teams showcasing their ideas, with the output symbolically circling a garbage pail" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31280" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-07-26-18.25.42-A-bustling-innovation-theater-filled-with-creative-individuals-and-teams-showcasing-their-ideas-with-the-output-symbolically-circling-a-garbage-pail.webp?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>I’ve been working with a large organization whose very existence is being challenged by an onslaught of technology (AI, autonomy, quantum, cyberattacks, access to space, et al) from aggressive competitors, both existing and new. These competitors are deploying these new technologies to challenge the expensive (and until now incredibly effective) legacy systems that this organization has built for decades. (And they are doing it at speed that looks like a blur to this organization.) But the organization is also challenged by the inaction of its own leaders, who cannot let go of the expensive systems and suppliers they built over decades. It’s a textbook case of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innovator%27s_Dilemma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Innovators Dilemma</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the commercial world creative destruction happens all the time. You get good, you get complacent, and eventually you get punched in the face. The same holds true for Government organizations, albeit with <a href="https://steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/NYT-Times-Dec-7-1941.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more serious consequences</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This organization’s fate is not yet sealed. Inside it, I’ve watched incredibly innovative groups create autonomous systems and software platforms that rival anything a startup is doing. They’ve found champions in the field organizations, and they’ve run experiments with them. They’ve provided evidence that their organization could adapt to the changing competitive environment and even regain the lead. Simultaneously, they’ve worked with outside organizations to complement and accelerate their internal offerings. They’re on the cusp of a potential transformation – but leadership hesitates to make substantive changes.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>The “Do Nothing” Feedback Loop<br /> </strong>I’ve seen this play out time and again in commercial and government organizations. There’s nothing more frustrating for innovators than to watch their organization being disrupted while its senior leaders hesitate to take more than token actions. On the other hand, no one who leads a large organization wants it to go out of business. So, why is adapting to changed circumstances so hard for existing organizations?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The answer starts at the top. Responding to disruption <u>requires action from senior leadership: </u>e.g. the CEO, board, Secretary, etc. Fearful that a premature pivot can put their legacy business or forces at risk, senior leaders delay deciding – often until it’s too late.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">My time with this organization helped me appreciate why adopting and <em>widely deploying</em> something disruptive is difficult and painful in companies and government agencies. Here are the reasons:</p> <p><strong>Disconnected Innovators – </strong>Most leaders of large organizations are not fluent in the new technologies and the disruptive operating concepts/business models they can create. They depend on guidance from their staff and trusted advisors – most of whom have been hired and promoted for their expertise in delivering incremental improvements in <em>existing </em>systems. The innovators in their organization, by contrast, rarely have direct access to senior leaders. Innovators who embrace radically new technologies and concepts that challenge the status quo and dogma are not welcomed, let alone promoted, or funded.</p> <p><strong><em><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31268" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-process-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?fit=1007%2C358&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1007,358" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Innovation process 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?fit=300%2C107&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?fit=468%2C166&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-31268" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?resize=468%2C166&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="166" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?w=1007&ssl=1 1007w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?resize=300%2C107&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?resize=150%2C53&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?resize=768%2C273&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-2.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></em></strong></p> <p><strong>Legacy </strong><em>– </em>The organization I’ve been working with, like many others, has decades of investment in existing concepts, systems, platforms, R&D labs, training, and a known set of external contractors. Building and sustaining their existing platforms and systems has left little money for creating and deploying new ones at the same scale (problems that new entrants/adversaries may not have.) Advocating that one or more of their platforms or systems are at risk or may no longer be effective is considered heresy and likely the end of a career.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The <em>“</em><strong>Frozen Middle</strong><em>” – </em>A common refrain I hear from innovators in large organizations is that too many people are resistant to change <em>(“they just don’t get it”.) </em>After seeing this behavior for decades, I’ve learned that the frozen middle occurs because of what’s called the<em>“</em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semmelweis_reflex"><em>Semmelweis effect</em></a>” – the <em><u>un</u>conscious</em> tendency of people to stick to preexisting beliefs and reject new ideas that contradict them – because it undermines their established norms and/or beliefs. (They really don’t get it.) This group is most comfortable sticking with existing process and procedures and hires and promotes people who execute the status quo. This works well when the system can continue to succeed with incremental growth, but in the face of more radical change, this normal human reaction shuts out new learning and limits an organizations’ ability to rapidly adapt to new circumstances. The result is organizational blinders and frustrated innovators. And you end up with world-class people and organizations for a world that no longer exists.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Not everyone is affected by the Semmelweis effect<em>. </em>It’s often mid-grade managers / officers in this same “middle” who come up with disruptive solutions and concepts. However, unless they have senior champions (VP’s, Generals / Admirals) and are part of an organization with a mission to solve operational problems, these solutions die. These innovators lack alternate places where the culture encourages and funds experimentation and non-consensus ideas. Ironically, organizations tend to chase these employees out because they don’t conform, or if forced to conform, they grow disillusioned and leave for more innovative work in industry.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31322" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-process-7/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?fit=3933%2C1304&ssl=1" data-orig-size="3933,1304" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Innovation process 7" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?fit=300%2C99&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?fit=468%2C155&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31322" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=468%2C155&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="155" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=1024%2C340&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=300%2C99&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=150%2C50&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=768%2C255&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=1536%2C509&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?resize=2048%2C679&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-7.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Hubris </strong>is managerial behavior of overconfidence and complacency. Unlike the unconscious Semmelweis effect, this is an active and <em>conscious denial </em>of facts. It occurs as some leaders/managers believe change threatens their jobs as decision-makers or that new programs, vendors or ideas increase the risk of failure, which may hurt their image and professional or promotional standing.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the organization I’ve been working with, the internal engineering group offers senior leaders reassurances that they are responding to disruption by touting incremental upgrades to their existing platforms and systems.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile <em>because their budget is a zero-sum game</em>, they starve innovators of funds and organizational support for deployment of disruptive new concepts at scale. The result is “innovation theater.” In the commercial world this behavior results in innovation demos but no shipping products and a company on the path to irrelevance or bankruptcy. In the military it’s demos but no funding for deployments at scale.</p> <p><strong>Fear of Failure/Risk Aversion </strong>– Large organizations are built around repeatable and scalable processes that are designed to be “fail safe.” Here new initiatives need to match existing budgeting, legal, HR and acquisition, processes and procedures. However, disruptive projects can only succeed in organizations that have a “safe-to-fail” culture. This is where learning and discovery happens via incremental and iterative experimentation with a portfolio of new ideas and failure is considered part of the process. “Fail safe” versus “safe-to-fail” organizations need to be separate and require different culture, different people, different development processes and risk tolerance.</p> <p><strong>Activist Investors Kill Transformation in Commercial Companies<br /> </strong>A limit on transformation speed unique to commercial organizations is the fear of “<a href="https://hbr.org/2017/10/why-ges-jeff-immelt-lost-his-job-disruption-and-activist-investors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Activist Investors</a>.” “Activist investors” push public companies to optimize short-term profit, by avoiding or limiting major investments in new opportunities and technology. When these investors gain control of a company, innovation investments are reduced, staff is cut, factories and R&D centers closed, and profitable parts of the company and other valuable assets sold.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31328" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-process-9/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?fit=4029%2C1833&ssl=1" data-orig-size="4029,1833" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Innovation process 9" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?fit=300%2C136&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?fit=468%2C213&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31328" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=468%2C213&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="213" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=1024%2C466&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=300%2C136&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=150%2C68&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=768%2C349&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=1536%2C699&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?resize=2048%2C932&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-9.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>Unique Barriers for Government Organizations</strong><br /> Government organizations face additional constraints that make them even slower to respond to change than large companies.</p> <p>To start, <strong>leaders of the largest government organizations are often political appointees</strong>. Many have decades of relevant experience, but others are acting way above their experience level. This kind of mismatch tends to happen more frequently in government than in private industry.</p> <p><strong>Leaders’ tenures are too short </strong><em>– </em>All but a few political appointees last only as long as their president in the White House, while leaders of programs and commands in the military services often serve 2- or 3-year tours. This is way too short to deeply understand and effectively execute organizational change. Because most government organizations lack a culture of formal <em>innovation doctrine</em> or playbook – a body of knowledge that establishes a common frame of reference and common professional language – <em>institutional learning tends to be ephemeral rather than enduring</em>. Little of the knowledge, practices, shared beliefs, theory, tactics, tools, procedures, language, and resources that the organization built under the last leader gets forwarded. Instead each new leader relearns and imposes their own plans and policies.</p> <p><strong>Getting Along Gets Rewarded </strong>– Career promotion in all services is primarily driven by “getting along” with the status quo. This leads to things like not cancelling a failing program, not looking for new suppliers who might be cheaper/ better/ more responsive, pursuing existing force design and operating concepts even when all available evidence suggests they’re no longer viable, selecting existing primes/contractors, or not pointing out that a major platform or weapon is no longer effective. The incentives are to not take risks. Doing so is likely the end of a career. Few get promoted for those behaviors. This discourages non-consensus thinking. Yet disruption requires risk.</p> <p><strong>Revolving doors</strong> – Senior leaders leave government service and go to work for the very companies whose programs they managed, and who they had purchased systems from (often <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10600">Prime contractors</a>). The result is that few who contemplate leaving the service and want a well-paying job with a contractor will hold them to account or suggest an alternate vendor while in the service.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31323" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-process-8/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?fit=4025%2C2220&ssl=1" data-orig-size="4025,2220" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Innovation process 8" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?fit=300%2C165&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?fit=468%2C258&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31323" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=468%2C258&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="258" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C565&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=300%2C165&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=150%2C83&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=768%2C424&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=1536%2C847&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?resize=2048%2C1130&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-8.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p><strong>Prime Contractors </strong><em>– </em>are one of our nation’s greatest assets while being our greatest obstacles to disruptive change. In the 20th century platforms/weapons were mostly hardware with software components. In the 21st century, platforms/weapons are increasingly software with hardware added. Most primes still use <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waterfall development</a> with distinct planning, design, development, and testing phases rather than <a href="https://software.af.mil/resources/agile/agile-vs-waterfall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agile (iterative and incremental </a>development with <u>daily</u> software releases). The result is that primes have a demonstrated inability to deliver complex systems on time. (Moving primes to software upgradable systems/or cloud-based breaks their financial model.)</p> <p>As well<em>, </em>prime contractors typically have a “lock” on existing government contracts. That’s because it’s less risky for acquisition officials to choose them for follow-on work– and primes have decades of experience in working through the byzantine and complex government purchasing process; and they have tons of people and money to influence all parts of the government acquisition system—from the requirements writers to program managers, to congressional staffers to the members of the Armed Services and Appropriations committees. New entrants have little chance to compete.</p> <p><strong>Congress – </strong>Lawmakers <em>have incentives to support the status quo but few inducements to change it. </em>Congress has a major say in what systems and platforms suppliers get used, with a bias to the status quo. To keep their own jobs, lawmakers shape military appropriations bills to support their constituents’ jobs and to attract donations from the contractors who hire them. (They and their staffers are also keeping the revolving door in mind for their next job.) Many congressional decisions that appear in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and in appropriations are to support companies that provide the most jobs in their districts and the most funds for their reelection. These come from the Prime contractors.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>What to Do About It?<br /> </strong>It starts at the top. Confronted with disruptive threats, senior leaders must actively work to understand:</p> <ul> <li>The <em>timing </em>of the threat – disruption never comes with a memo, and when it happens its impact is exponential. When will disruption happen that will make our core business or operating concepts/force design obsolete? <span style="font-weight: 400;">Will our competitors get there first? </span></li> <li>The <em>magnitude </em>of the threat – will this put a small part of our business/capabilities at risk or will it affect our entire organization?</li> <li>The <em>impact </em>of the threat – will this have a minor impact or does it threaten the leadership or the very existence of the organization. What happens if our competitors/adversaries adopt this first?</li> <li>The <em>response </em>to the threat- Small experiments, department transformation, and company or organization-wide transformation – and its timeline.</li> </ul> <p><em>Increase Visibility of Disruptive Tech and Concepts/Add Outside Opinions<br /> </em></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">To counter disruptive threats, the typical reporting relationship of innovators filtered through multiple layers of management must be put aside. <ul> <li>Senior leaders need a direct and unfiltered pipeline to their internal innovation groups for monthly updates and demos of evidenced-based experiments in operational settings.</li> <li>And the new operating concepts to go with it.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Create a “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_team">Red Team</a>” of advisors from outside their organization. <ul> <li>This group should update senior leaders on the progress of competitors</li> <li>And offer unbiased assessment of their own internal engineering/R&D progress.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Stand up a <a href="https://centerformaritimestrategy.org/publications/bring-back-the-cno-strategic-studies-group/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategic studies group</a> that can develop new business models/ new strategic concepts usable at the operational level – ensure its connection with external sources of technical innovation</li> <li>Create a “sensing” and “response” organization that takes actual company/agency/service problems out to VC’s and startups and seeing how they would solve them <ul> <li>However, unless senior leaders 1) actively make a point of seeing these first hand (at least biannually), <span style="text-decoration: underline;">and</span> have the mechanism to “respond” with purchase orders/ OTA’s, this effort will have little impact.</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><em>Actively and Urgently Gather Evidence</em></p> <ul> <li>Run real-world experiments – simulations, war games, – using disruptive tech and operating concepts (in offense and defense.)</li> <li>See and actively seek out the impact of disruption in adjacent areas e.g. AI’s impact on protein modeling, drones in the battlefield and Black Sea in Ukraine, et al.</li> <li>Ask the pointy end of the organization (e.g the sales force, fleet admirals) if they are willing to take more risk on new capabilities.</li> </ul> <p>These activities need happen in months not years. Possible recommendations from these groups include do nothing, run small experiments, transform a single function or department, or a company or organization-wide transformation.</p> <p><em>What Does Organization-wide Transformation look like?</em></p> <ul> <li>What outcome do we desire?</li> <li>When do we need it?</li> <li>What budget, people, capital equipment are needed? <ul> <li>What would need to be divested?</li> </ul> </li> <li>How to communicate this to all stakeholders and get them aligned?</li> <li>In the face of disruption/ crisis/ wartime advanced R&D groups now need a seat at the table with budgets sufficient for deployment at scale. <ul> <li>Consider organizing as an <a href="https://steveblank.com/2021/09/01/lead-and-disrupt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ambidextrous organization</a> (e.g. <a href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">SpaceX Falcon 9 </a>operational execution versus <a href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/">Starship</a> disruptive experimentation) (see <a href="https://hbr.org/2004/04/the-ambidextrous-organization" rel="">this HBR article.</a>)</li> <li>In addition to mangers of process, create <em>rapid</em> <em>innovation teams </em>(technologists, visionaries, senior champions)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Finally, encourage more imagination. How can we use partners and other outside resources for technology and capital?</li> </ul> <p>Examples of leaders who transformed their organization in the face of disruption include <a href="https://hbr.org/2023/02/how-microsoft-became-innovative-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella</a> and Steve Jobs from Apple, in defense, <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0497perry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Perry</a>, Harold Brown and <a href="https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/3511939/innovation-and-national-security-ash-carters-legacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ash Carter</a>. Each dealt with disruption with acceptance, acknowledgment, imagination and action.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31278" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/innovation-process-6/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?fit=972%2C486&ssl=1" data-orig-size="972,486" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Innovation process 6" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?fit=300%2C150&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?fit=468%2C234&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-31278" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?resize=468%2C234&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="234" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?w=972&ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?resize=300%2C150&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?resize=150%2C75&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Innovation-process-6.jpg?resize=768%2C384&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>Much more to be said about transformation in future posts.</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1896816543&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"https://steveblank.com/2024/07/30/why-large-organizations-struggle-with-disruption-and-what-to-do-about-it/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"6";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31262";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:7;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:76:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"Lean LaunchPad @Stanford 2024 – 8 Teams In, 8 Companies Out";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:90:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:00:52 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"Customer Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Lean LaunchPad";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31068";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:355:"This post previously appeared in Poets and Quants. We just finished the 14th annual Lean LaunchPad class at Stanford. The class had gotten so popular that in 2021 we started teaching it in both the winter and spring sessions. During the quarter the eight teams spoke to 919 potential customers, beneficiaries and regulators. Most students spent […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:50832:"<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://poetsandquants.com/2024/06/25/steve-blank-stanfords-lean-launchpad-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/?pq-category=business-school-news"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="25513" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2019/12/03/getting-schooled-lessons-from-an-adjuncts/poets-and-quants-logo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/poets-and-quants-logo.png?fit=1438%2C248&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1438,248" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Poets and quants logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/poets-and-quants-logo.png?fit=300%2C52&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/poets-and-quants-logo.png?fit=468%2C81&ssl=1" class="alignleft wp-image-25513" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/poets-and-quants-logo.png?resize=143%2C25&ssl=1" alt="" width="143" height="25" /></a>This post previously <a href="https://poetsandquants.com/2024/06/25/steve-blank-stanfords-lean-launchpad-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/?pq-category=business-school-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared in Poets and Quants</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">We just finished the 14th<sup> </sup>annual Lean LaunchPad class at Stanford. The class had gotten so popular that in 2021 we started teaching it in both the winter and spring sessions.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31167" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/logo_llp_320px/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?fit=320%2C170&ssl=1" data-orig-size="320,170" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Logo_LLP_320px" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?fit=300%2C159&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?fit=320%2C170&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-31167" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?resize=150%2C80&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="80" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?resize=150%2C80&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?resize=300%2C159&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Logo_LLP_320px.jpeg?w=320&ssl=1 320w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">During the quarter the eight teams spoke to <strong>919</strong> potential customers, beneficiaries and regulators. Most students spent 15-20 hours a week on the class, about double that of a normal class.</p> <p>In the 14 years we’ve been teaching the class, we had something that has never happened before – <strong>all eight teams in this cohort have decided to start a company</strong>.</p> <p><strong>This Class Launched a Revolution in Teaching Entreprenurship</strong><br /> Several government-funded programs have adopted this class at scale. The first was in 2011 when we turned this syllabus into the curriculum for the <a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Science Foundation I-Corps</a>. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-arkilic-350b8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Errol Arkilic</a>, the then head of commercialization at the National Science, adopted the class saying, “You’ve developed the scientific method for startups, using the Business Model Canvas as the laboratory notebook.”</p> <p><a href="applewebdata://4B3D561C-0929-4BCD-B70B-88FAF5119390#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1"></a>Below are the Lessons Learned presentations from the spring 2024 Lean LaunchPad.</p> <h3>Team Neutrix – Making Existing Nuclear Reactors More Profitable By Upgrading Their Fuel</h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q6yLGfU_LyIpOg5thKvxc38M3HRCrC17/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31076" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-11/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?fit=2784%2C1664&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2784,1664" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C280&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-31076 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="179" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C612&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C459&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C918&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1224&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-Video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Neutrix video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q6yLGfU_LyIpOg5thKvxc38M3HRCrC17/view?usp=share_link">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dVJLAwyCUWx4wzztgRRs8G7Sow_Ve3qr/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31079" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/neutrix-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Neutrix title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31079" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?resize=468%2C264&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="264" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Neutrix-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Neutrix Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dVJLAwyCUWx4wzztgRRs8G7Sow_Ve3qr/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>I-Corps at the National Institute of Health<br /> </strong>In 2013 I partnered with <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UCSF</a> and the National Institute of Health to offer the <a href="https://steveblank.com/2013/08/21/reinventing-life-science-startups-evidence-based-entrepreneurship-2/">Lean LaunchPad class for Life Science and Healthcare (therapeutics, diagnostics, devices and digital health.)</a> In 2014, in conjunction with the National Institute of Health, I took the UCSF curriculum and developed and launched the I<a href="https://seed.nih.gov/I-Corps-at-NIH">-Corps @ NIH </a>program.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Virgil – Capturing Memoirs of Loved Ones (and Using AI to Do It Profitably)</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ekTKZxVVDlJJrunWQI4qoUM5a_fmmRFw"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31082" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-12/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?fit=2848%2C1612&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1612" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?fit=300%2C170&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?fit=468%2C265&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31082 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=468%2C265&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="265" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=1024%2C580&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=300%2C170&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=150%2C85&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=768%2C435&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=1536%2C869&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1159&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-Video-Title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Virgil video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ekTKZxVVDlJJrunWQI4qoUM5a_fmmRFw">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b39vyN2eknpV3fr4VXeU4L0rGvEHih3w/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31111" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/virgil-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Virgil title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-31111 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Virgil-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Virgil Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b39vyN2eknpV3fr4VXeU4L0rGvEHih3w/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.</a></p> <p><strong>I-Corps at Scale<br /> </strong><a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/">I-Corps</a> is now offered in 100 universities and has <a href="https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2023-06/TIP_I-CorpsReport_2023_Final_6.21.2023.508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trained over 9,500 scientists and engineers</a>; 7,800 in 2,546 teams in I-Corps at NSF (National Science Foundation), 950 participants at I-Corps at NIH in 317 teams, and 580 participants at Energy I-Corps (at the DOE) in 188 teams.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Claim CoPilot – Overturning Denied Healthcare Claims</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XkB0DYKKj1zbTVQ-u1KVXYUm_WpJcQuj/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31113" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/claim-copilot-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Claim Copilot title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31113 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Claim Pilot Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XkB0DYKKj1zbTVQ-u1KVXYUm_WpJcQuj/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GixjfAz_XgA"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31201" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-17/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?fit=2624%2C1640&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2624,1640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C188&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C293&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31201 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C293&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="293" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C188&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C94&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C480&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C960&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1280&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Claim-Copilot-video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p>If you can’t see the Claim CoPilot video of their demo click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GixjfAz_XgA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>$4 billion in Venture Capital For I-Corps Teams</strong><br /> 1,380 of the NSF I-Corps teams launched startups raising $3.166 billion. Over 300 I-Corps at NIH teams have collectively raised $634 million. Energy I-Corps teams raised $151 million in additional funding.</p> <h3>Team Emy.ai – Using Brainwaves to Biohack Moods</h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HH9gJ6Oh-4Usbz_NkCinJTHzv9sggheD/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31115" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/emi-video-tiitle/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?fit=1741%2C1417&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1741,1417" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Emi video tiitle" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?fit=300%2C244&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?fit=468%2C381&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31115 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=300%2C244&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="244" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=300%2C244&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=1024%2C833&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=150%2C122&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=768%2C625&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?resize=1536%2C1250&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?w=1741&ssl=1 1741w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emi-video-tiitle.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>If you can’t see the Emy.ai video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HH9gJ6Oh-4Usbz_NkCinJTHzv9sggheD/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDvMiZE6go_RKiR8ViUpZTPpaoCn6j4L/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31117" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/emy-ai-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Emy.ai title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31117 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Emy.ai-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Emy.ai Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IDvMiZE6go_RKiR8ViUpZTPpaoCn6j4L/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Mission Driven Entreprenurship<br /> </strong>In 2016, I co-created both the <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/hacking-for-defense/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Defense</a> course with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewell/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Newell</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joefelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Felter</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.h4diplomacy.us/program-overview#:~:text=What%20is%20Hacking%20for%20Diplomacy,challenges%20using%20lean%20startup%20approaches." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Diplomacy</a> course with <a href="https://politicalscience.stanford.edu/people/jeremy-weinstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy Weinstein</a> at Stanford. In 2022, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweinstein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Weinstein</a> created <a href="https://h4cs.stanford.edu/detail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Climate and Sustainability</a>. This fall <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarolan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Carolan</a> will launch Hacking for Education at Stanford.</span></p> <h3>Team TeachAssist – Automating Student Assessments for Special Education Teachers</h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_ACyuYPsKgIt4LJcjOxRFaVsPDFbM9oP/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31119" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-14/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?fit=2848%2C1700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C279&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31119 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C279&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C611&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C458&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C917&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1222&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Teachasst-video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the TeachAssist video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_ACyuYPsKgIt4LJcjOxRFaVsPDFbM9oP/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/108StFSdiCjfoBW9Qm2p_1KMaDZiWIvWI/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31121" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/teachassist-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="TeachAssist title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31121 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/TeachAssist-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the TeachAssist Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/108StFSdiCjfoBW9Qm2p_1KMaDZiWIvWI/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>Design of This Class<br /> </strong>While the Lean LaunchPad students are experiencing what appears to them to be a fully hands-on, experiential class, it’s a carefully designed illusion. In fact, it’s highly structured. The syllabus has been designed so that we are offering continual implicit guidance, structure, and repetition. This is a critical distinction between our class and an open-ended experiential class.</p> <p><em>Guidance, Direction and Structure<br /> </em>For example, students start the class with their own initial guidance – they believe they have an idea for a product or service (Lean LaunchPad/I-Corps) or have been given a clear real-world problem (<a href="https://steveblank.com/2016/01/26/hacking-for-defense-stanford/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Defense</a>). Coming into the class, students believe their goal is to validate their commercialization or deployment hypotheses. (The teaching team knows that over the course of the class, students will discover that most of their initial hypotheses are incorrect.)</p> <h3>Team Maurice.ai – A Home Robot for the GPT Era</h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lYYJ36IgFG2T6b3AbwOof-GuRTTQlNDI/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31124" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-15/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?fit=2848%2C1700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C279&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31124 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C279&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C611&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C458&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C917&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1222&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Maurice-video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Maurice.ai video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lYYJ36IgFG2T6b3AbwOof-GuRTTQlNDI/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aeKAtMkB4VQVmbiA8vMdQT9zceRk7_iy/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31128" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/mauriceai-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="MauriceAI title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31128 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/MauriceAI-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Maurice.ai Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aeKAtMkB4VQVmbiA8vMdQT9zceRk7_iy/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>The Business Model Canvas<br /> </strong>The business/mission model canvas offers students guidance, explicit direction, and structure. First, the canvas offers a complete, visual roadmap of all the hypotheses they will need to test over the entire class. Second, the canvas helps the students goal-seek by visualizing what an optimal endpoint would look like – finding product/market fit. Finally, the canvas provides students with a map of what they learn week-to-week through their customer discovery work.</p> <p>I can’t overemphasize the important role of the canvas. Unlike an incubator or accelerator with no frame, the canvas acts as the connective tissue – the frame – that students can fall back on if they get lost or confused. It allows us to teach the theory of how to turn an idea, need, or problem into commercial practice, week by week a piece at a time.</p> <h3>Team Waifinder – Personalized Guidance For High School Students to Effectively Apply to College</h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XWFrlkY1TgS2aOyaLOmdXz_fNhhjOlY5/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31130" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/screenshot-16/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?fit=2848%2C1700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C279&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-31130 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C279&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C611&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C458&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C917&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1222&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Waifinder video, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XWFrlkY1TgS2aOyaLOmdXz_fNhhjOlY5/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O0GF3ldWpOLMLc6jFCvYqyo5GMJlfWM8/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31131" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/waifinder-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Waifinder title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31131 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Waifinder-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Waifinder Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O0GF3ldWpOLMLc6jFCvYqyo5GMJlfWM8/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>Lean LaunchPad Tools</strong><br /> The tools for customer discovery (videos, sample experiments, etc.) offer guidance and structure for students to work outside the classroom. The explicit goal of 10-15 customer interviews a week along with the requirement for building a continual series of minimal viable products provides metrics that track the team’s progress. The mandatory office hours with the instructors and support from mentors provide additional guidance and structure.</p> <h3>Team PocketDot – Gamified Braille Self-Learning Solution for Braille Learners</h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BmLqOfXdTq9DQpv2wx29W8LasVzjtaUV/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31196" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/pocketdot-video-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?fit=1985%2C1110&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1985,1110" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="PocketDot video title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C168&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C262&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31196 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C262&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="262" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C573&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C168&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C429&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C859&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?w=1985&ssl=1 1985w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you cant see the PocketDot video click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BmLqOfXdTq9DQpv2wx29W8LasVzjtaUV/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o1CuHAsuX7Tod-VEFWQOg5BY8YWFVpSa/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31134" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/pocketdot-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="PocketDot title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31134 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PocketDot-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the PocketDot Presentation, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o1CuHAsuX7Tod-VEFWQOg5BY8YWFVpSa/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p><strong>It Takes A Village<br /> </strong>While I authored this blog post, this class is a team project. The secret sauce of the success of the Lean LaunchPad at Stanford is the extraordinary group of dedicated volunteers supporting our students in so many critical ways.</p> <p><em>The teaching team</em> consisted of myself and:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweinstein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Weinstein</a><u>,</u> partner at <a href="https://americasfrontier.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America’s Frontier Fund</a>, 30-year veteran of Silicon Valley technology companies and Hollywood media companies. Steve was CEO of <a href="https://movielabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MovieLabs</a>, the joint R&D lab of all the major motion picture studios.</li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lredden/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lee Redden</a> – CTO and co-founder of Blue River Technology (<a href="https://www.dcvc.com/news-insights/john-deere-acquires-blue-river-technology-for-305-million-bringing-full-stack-ai-to-agriculture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired by John Deere</a>) who was a student in the first Lean LaunchPad class 14 years ago!</li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarolan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Carolan</a>, Co-Founder, Partner at Reach Capital the leading education VC</li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarolan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shawn Carolan</a> Partner at Menlo Ventures.</li> </ul> <p>Our <em>teaching assistants</em> this year were Chapman Ellsworth, Francesca Bottazzini and Ehsan Ghasemi.</p> <p><em>Mentors</em> helped the teams understand if their solutions could be a commercially successful business. Thanks to Lofton Holder, Bobby Mukherjee, Steve Cousins, David Epstein, Kevin Ray, Rekha Pai, Rafi Holtzman and Kira Makagon. They were led by Todd Basche.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Summary<br /> </strong>While the Lean LaunchPad/I-Corps curriculum was a revolutionary break with the past, it’s not the end. In the last decade enumerable variants have emerged. The class we teach at Stanford has continued to evolve. Better versions from others will appear. AI is already having a major impact on customer discovery and validation. And one day another revolutionary break will take us to the next level.</p> <p>But today, we get to celebrate – 8 teams in – 8 companies out.<br /> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1861016709&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe></p> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/27/lean-launchpad-stanford-2024-8-teams-in-8-companies-out/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"3";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31068";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:8;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:79:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:70:"Hacking for Defense @ Stanford 2024 – Lessons Learned Presentations";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:98:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:00:41 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:3:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Corporate/Gov't Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:2;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"Hacking For Defense";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=31004";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:395:"We just finished our 9th annual Hacking for Defense class at Stanford. What a year. Hacking for Defense, now in 60 universities, has teams of students working to understand and help solve national security problems. At Stanford this quarter the 8 teams of 40 students collectively interviewed 968 beneficiaries, stakeholders, requirements writers, program managers, industry partners, […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:66220:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">We just finished our 9th annual <a href="http://h4d.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Defense class at Stanford.</a><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="27586" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/h4d-logo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?fit=2432%2C2400&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2432,2400" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="h4d logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?fit=300%2C296&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?fit=468%2C462&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-27586" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C148&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="148" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C148&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C296&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=1024%2C1011&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=768%2C758&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=1536%2C1516&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=2048%2C2021&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?resize=1200%2C1184&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/h4d-logo.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">What a year.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Hacking for Defense, now in 60 universities, has teams of students working to understand and help solve national security problems. At Stanford this quarter the 8 teams of 40 students collectively interviewed <strong>968</strong> beneficiaries, stakeholders, requirements writers, program managers, industry partners, etc. – while simultaneously building a series of minimal viable products and developing a path to deployment.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">At the end of the quarter, each of the teams gave a final “Lessons Learned” presentation. Unlike traditional demo days or Shark Tanks which are, “Here’s how smart I am, and isn’t this a great product, please give me money,” the Lessons Learned presentations tell the story of each team’s 10-week journey and hard-won learning and discovery. For all of them it’s a roller coaster narrative describing what happens when you discover that everything you thought you knew on day one was wrong and how they eventually got it right.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s how they did it and what they delivered.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>New for 2024<br /> </strong>This year, in addition to the problems from the Defense Department and Intelligence Community we had two problems from the State Department and one from the FBI.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>These are “Wicked” Problems<br /> </strong>Wicked problems refer to really complex problems, ones with multiple moving parts, where the solution isn’t obvious and lacks a definitive formula. The types of problems our Hacking For Defense students work on fall into this category. They are often ambiguous. They start with a problem from a sponsor, and not only is the solution unclear but figuring out how to acquire and deploy it is also complex. Most often students find that in hindsight the problem was a symptom of a more interesting and complex problem – and that Acquistion of solutions in the Dept of Defense is unlike anything in the commercial world.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31009" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/h4d-matrix/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?fit=612%2C516&ssl=1" data-orig-size="612,516" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="H4D Matrix" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?fit=300%2C253&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?fit=468%2C395&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-31009" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?resize=228%2C192&ssl=1" alt="" width="228" height="192" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?resize=300%2C253&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?resize=150%2C126&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Matrix.jpg?w=612&ssl=1 612w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px" /></a>And the stakeholders and institutions often have different relationships with each other – some are collaborative, some have pieces of the problem or solution, and others might have conflicting values and interests.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The figure shows the types of problems Hacking for Defense students encounter, with the most common ones shaded.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Guest Speakers: Doug Beck – Defense Innovation Unit, Radha Plumb – CDAO. H.R. McMaster – former National Security Advisor and Condoleezza Rice – former Secretary of State<br /> </strong>Our final Lessons Learned presentations started with an introduction by <a href="https://www.diu.mil/team/doug-beck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Beck</a>, director of the <a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a> and <a href="https://www.ai.mil/bio_Plumb.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Radha Plumb</a>, DoD’s <a href="https://www.ai.mil/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chief of the Digital and AI Office</a>– reminding the students of the importance of Hacking for Defense and congratulating them on their contribution to national security.</p> <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._McMaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H.R. McMaster</a> gave an inspiring talk. He reminded our students that 1) war is an extension of politics; 2) war is human; 3) war is uncertain; 4) war is a contest of wills.<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E4Qhmn_HlWBsThiC7sjTRNThxLBwqcbL/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31055" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/h-r-mcmaster-h4d2024/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="768,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 15 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1717523242","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.7649998656528","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0086206896551724","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="H.R. Mcmaster H4D2024" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?fit=468%2C624&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31055 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?resize=113%2C150&ssl=1 113w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H.R.-Mcmaster-H4D2024.jpg?w=768&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></a></p> <p>If you can’t see the video of H.R. McMaster’s talk, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E4Qhmn_HlWBsThiC7sjTRNThxLBwqcbL/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>The week prior to our final presentations the class heard inspirational remarks from Dr. <a href="https://www.hoover.org/profiles/condoleezza-rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Condoleezza Rice,</a> former United States Secretary of State. Dr. Rice gave a sweeping overview of the prevailing threats to our national security and the importance of getting our best and brightest involved in public service.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">As a former Secretary of State, Dr. Rice was especially encouraged to see our two State Department sponsored teams this quarter. She left the students inspired to find ways to serve.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Lessons Learned Presentation Format<br /> </strong>For the final Lessons Learned presentation many of the eight teams presented a 2-minute video to provide context about their problem. This was followed by an 8-minute slide presentation describing their customer discovery journey over the 10 weeks. While all the teams used the <a href="https://steveblank.com/2016/02/23/the-mission-model-canvas-an-adapted-business-model-canvas-for-mission-driven-organizations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mission Model Canvas</a>, (videos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmera8mXqq-tOMvCpj_M64F-dbXvxkArs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>), Customer Development and Agile Engineering to build Minimal Viable Products, each of their journeys was unique.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31057" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/getting-out-of-the-building-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,768" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 15 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1717526936","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.7649998656528","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.012987012987013","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Getting out of the building" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?fit=468%2C351&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31057" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?resize=468%2C351&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="351" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Getting-out-of-the-building.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By the end the class all the teams realized that the problem as given by the sponsor had morphed into something bigger, deeper and much more interesting.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">All the presentations are worth a watch.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team House of Laws<br /> </strong><strong><em>Using LLMs to Simplify Government Decision Making</em></strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dgbZvQBbI3U6LNR6yaY15lCUU3AiLCd8/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31010" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?fit=2848%2C1700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?fit=468%2C279&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31010 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=468%2C279&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=1024%2C611&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=768%2C458&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=1536%2C917&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?resize=2048%2C1222&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team House of Laws 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dgbZvQBbI3U6LNR6yaY15lCUU3AiLCd8/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y6kOLGscnC7iSNNS4HGv8uh3tvABf7dB/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31012" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/house-of-laws-final-presentation/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="House of Laws Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31012 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/House-of-Laws-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team House of Laws slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y6kOLGscnC7iSNNS4HGv8uh3tvABf7dB/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship</strong><br /> This class is part of a bigger idea – Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship. Instead of students or faculty coming in with their own ideas, we ask them to work on societal problems, whether they’re problems for the State Department or the Department of Defense or non-profits/NGOs or the Oceans and Climate or for anything the students are passionate about. The trick is we use the same <a href="https://steveblank.com/2021/07/13/this-class-changed-the-way-entrepreneurship-is-taught/#:~:text=There%20were%20no%20classes%20on,Enterprises”%20at%20Harvard%20Business%20School." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lean LaunchPad / I-Corps curriculum — and the same class structure – experiential, hands-on</a>– driven this time by a <a href="https://steveblank.com/2016/02/23/the-mission-model-canvas-an-adapted-business-model-canvas-for-mission-driven-organizations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>mission</em>-model</a> not a business model. (The National Science Foundation and the <a href="https://www.commonmission.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Common Mission Project</a> have helped promote the expansion of the methodology worldwide.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Mission-driven entrepreneurship is the answer to students who say, “I want to give back. I want to make my community, country or world a better place, while being challenged to solve some of the toughest problems.”</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Caribbean Clean Climate<br /> </strong><strong><em>Helping</em> <em>Barbados Adopt Clean Energy</em></strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DFizYfv0EbKIvmf0gx5kCxoUhBBax-i/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31019" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-5/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?fit=2848%2C1700&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2848,1700" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?fit=468%2C279&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31019 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=468%2C279&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="279" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C611&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=768%2C458&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C917&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1222&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/C3-Video-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Caribbean Clean Climate 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DFizYfv0EbKIvmf0gx5kCxoUhBBax-i/view?usp=sharing">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkmdLfL3EKRlRqAN7bqFjnXsgh7At8PL/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31024" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/caribbeans-clean-climate-final-presentation/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Caribbean’s Clean Climate – Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31024 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caribbeans-Clean-Climate-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Caribbean Clean Climate slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lkmdLfL3EKRlRqAN7bqFjnXsgh7At8PL/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>It Started With An Idea<br /> </strong>Hacking for Defense has its origins in the Lean LaunchPad class I first taught at Stanford in 2011. I observed that teaching case studies and/or how to write a business plan as a capstone entrepreneurship class didn’t match the hands-on chaos of a startup. Furthermore, there was no entrepreneurship class that combined experiential learning with the Lean methodology. Our goal was to teach both theory and practice.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The same year we started the class, it was adopted by the National Science Foundation to train Principal Investigators who wanted to get a federal grant for commercializing their science (an <a href="https://www.sbir.gov/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SBIR grant</a>.) The NSF observed, “The class is the scientific method for entrepreneurship. Scientists understand hypothesis testing” and relabeled the class as the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NSF I-Corps</a> (Innovation Corps). I-Corps became the standard for science commercialization for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Blank#cite_note-5">National Science Foundation</a>, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, to date training 3,051 teams and launching 1,300+ startups.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Protecting Children<br /> </strong><strong><em>Helping the FBI Acquire LLMs for Child Safety</em></strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zz3Yv8I3zeu9THm6HQOgsVFWw8Ucl1Df/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31026" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-6/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?fit=2680%2C1860&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2680,1860" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?fit=300%2C208&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?fit=468%2C325&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31026 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=468%2C325&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="325" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=1024%2C711&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=300%2C208&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=150%2C104&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=768%2C533&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=1536%2C1066&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?resize=2048%2C1421&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AI-Protecting-Chiildren.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team Protecting Children<strong> </strong> 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zz3Yv8I3zeu9THm6HQOgsVFWw8Ucl1Df/view?usp=sharing">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tcoACe4PycyKgu1JqsmQSB6WsTISfbtO/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31027" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/child-safety-final-presentation/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Child Safety Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31027 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Child-Safety-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team Protecting Children<strong> </strong> slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tcoACe4PycyKgu1JqsmQSB6WsTISfbtO/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Origins Of Hacking For Defense<br /> </strong>In 2016, brainstorming with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Newell</a> of BMNT and <a href="http://fsi.stanford.edu/people/joseph_felter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Felter</a> at Stanford, we observed that students in our research universities had little connection to the problems their government was trying to solve or the larger issues civil society was grappling with. As we thought about how we could get students engaged, we realized the same Lean LaunchPad/I-Corps class would provide a framework to do so. That year we launched both <a href="http://h4d.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Defense</a> and <a href="http://web.stanford.edu/class/msande298/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Diplomacy</a> (with Professor <a href="https://politicalscience.stanford.edu/people/jeremy-weinstein">Jeremy Weinstein</a> and the State Department) at Stanford. The Department of Defense adopted and scaled Hacking for Defense across 60 universities while Hacking for Diplomacy is offered at<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span> <a href="https://www.jmu.edu/news/2024/03/01-diplomatic-community.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JMU</a> and <a href="https://www.commonmission.us/thought-leadership/rit-students-propose-solution-for-more-efficient-dos-data-analysis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RIT</a> –, sponsored by the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security (see <a href="https://www.h4diplomacy.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>).</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team L Infinity<br /> </strong><strong><em>Improving Satellite Tasking</em></strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1abzKDhqURLlZOM0_coEX6CsKxAK7UNWI/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31029" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-7/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?fit=2784%2C1664&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2784,1664" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?fit=300%2C179&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?fit=468%2C280&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31029 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=468%2C280&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="280" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=1024%2C612&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=150%2C90&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=768%2C459&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=1536%2C918&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?resize=2048%2C1224&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team L∞ 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1abzKDhqURLlZOM0_coEX6CsKxAK7UNWI/view?usp=sharing">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Jeh-YyPwsAx2YHe7JGD-y0AO0QGJlIk/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31030" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/l-infinity-final-presentation/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="L Infinity Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31030 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/L-Infinity-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team L∞ slides, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Jeh-YyPwsAx2YHe7JGD-y0AO0QGJlIk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Goals for the Hacking for Defense Class<br /> </strong>Our primary goal was to teach students Lean Innovation methods while they engaged in national public service. Today if college students want to give back to their country, they think of <a href="https://www.teachforamerica.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teach for America</a>, the <a href="http://www.peacecorps.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peace Corps</a>, or <a href="https://americorps.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmeriCorps</a> or perhaps the <a href="https://www.usds.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Digital Service</a> or the <a href="https://18f.gsa.gov/">GSA’s 18F</a>. Few consider opportunities to make the world safer with the Department of Defense, Intelligence community or other government agencies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the class we saw that students could learn about the nation’s threats and security challenges while working with innovators inside the DoD and Intelligence Community. At the same time the experience would introduce to the sponsors, who are innovators inside the Department of Defense (DOD) and Intelligence Community (IC), a methodology that could help them understand and better respond to rapidly evolving threats. We wanted to show that if we could get teams to <em>rapidly</em> discover the real problems in the field using Lean methods, and <em>only then</em> articulate the requirements to solve them, defense acquisition programs could operate at <em>speed and urgency</em> and deliver <em>timely</em> <em>and needed </em>solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, we wanted to familiarize students with the military as a profession and help them better understand its expertise, and its proper role in society. We hoped it would also show our sponsors in the Department of Defense and Intelligence community that civilian students can make a meaningful contribution to problem understanding and rapid prototyping of solutions to real-world problems.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Centiment<br /> </strong><strong><em>Information Operations Optimized</em></strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1el02GK0fmI2s1gFSJetJ84jym4b95TCd/view"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31034" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-8/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?fit=876%2C930&ssl=1" data-orig-size="876,930" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?fit=283%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?fit=468%2C497&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31034" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?resize=351%2C372&ssl=1" alt="" width="351" height="372" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?w=876&ssl=1 876w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?resize=283%2C300&ssl=1 283w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?resize=141%2C150&ssl=1 141w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Centiment.jpg?resize=768%2C815&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team Centiment 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1el02GK0fmI2s1gFSJetJ84jym4b95TCd/view?usp=share_link">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13e7cdCbshwj4EZbzWmMjsBatES-yhOle/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31032" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/centiment_-final-presentation-deck/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="CENTIMENT_ Final Presentation Deck" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31032 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CENTIMENT_-Final-Presentation-Deck.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team Centiment slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13e7cdCbshwj4EZbzWmMjsBatES-yhOle/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Mission-Driven in 50 Universities and Continuing to Expand in Scope and Reach<br /> </strong>What started as a class is now a movement.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">From its beginning with our Stanford class, Hacking for Defense is now offered in over 50 universities in the U.S., as well as in the UK and Australia. Steve Weinstein started <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/at-work/education/first-hacking-for-impact-class-buzzes-around-the-mosquito-problem">Hacking for Impact</a> (Non-Profits) and <a href="https://hackingforlocal-oakland.weebly.com/">Hacking for Local</a> (Oakland) at U.C. Berkeley, and Hacking for Oceans at both <a href="http://h4oceans.ucsd.edu/">Scripps</a> and <a href="https://hacking4oceans.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz,</a> as well as <a href="https://h4cs.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Climate and Sustainability</a> at Stanford. Hacking for Education will start this fall at Stanford.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Guyana’s Green Growth<br /> <em>Water Management for Guyanese Farmers</em></strong></h3> <div id="attachment_31036" style="width: 478px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6FRQiCATeQ&t=4s"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31036" data-attachment-id="31036" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-9/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?fit=2624%2C1640&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2624,1640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?fit=300%2C188&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?fit=468%2C293&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31036 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=468%2C293&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="293" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=300%2C188&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=150%2C94&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=768%2C480&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=1536%2C960&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?resize=2048%2C1280&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-title.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-31036" class="wp-caption-text">Screenshot</p></div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team Guyana’s Green Growth<strong> </strong> 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6FRQiCATeQ">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bkw7bK1gEjxeSnQSJZBxL5fL_6_hm70X/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31038" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/guyana-green-growth-final-presentation/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Guyana Green Growth Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31038 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Guyana-Green-Growth-Final-Presentation.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team Guyana’s Green Growth<strong> </strong>slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bkw7bK1gEjxeSnQSJZBxL5fL_6_hm70X/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <p><strong>Go-to-Market/Deployment Strategies<br /> </strong>The initial goal of the teams is to ensure they understand the problem. The next step is to see if they can find mission/solution fit (the DoD equivalent of commercial product/market fit.) But most importantly, the class teaches the teams about the difficult and complex path of getting a solution in the hands of a warfighter/beneficiary. Who writes the requirement? What’s an OTA? What’s color of money? What’s a Program Manager? Who owns the current contract? …</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Dynamic Space Operations<br /> <em>Cubesats for Space Inspection Training</em></strong></h3> <div id="attachment_31041" style="width: 478px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCBtR5kuq0"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31041" data-attachment-id="31041" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/screenshot-10/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?fit=2624%2C1640&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2624,1640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?fit=300%2C188&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?fit=468%2C293&ssl=1" class="wp-image-31041 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=468%2C293&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="293" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=1024%2C640&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=300%2C188&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=150%2C94&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=768%2C480&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=1536%2C960&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?resize=2048%2C1280&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-space.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-31041" class="wp-caption-text">Screenshot</p></div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Team Dynamic Space Operations<strong> </strong> 2-minute video, click <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeCBtR5kuq0">here</a></u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PRNBW3VtMKOgVVVzDSEtI1xSLRJ3o50q/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31042" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/dynamic-space-operations-team-final-presentation-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Dynamic Space Operations Team Final Presentation" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31042 size-full" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dynamic-Space-Operations-Team-Final-Presentation-1.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>If you can’t see the Team Dynamic Space Operations<strong> </strong> slides, click <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PRNBW3VtMKOgVVVzDSEtI1xSLRJ3o50q/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></u></p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team Spectra Labs<br /> </strong><strong><em>Providing</em> <em>real-time awareness of ..</em></strong></h3> <p>This team’s presentation is available upon request.</p> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2FP3ks2rHi3gCe6vGof1SRog8ke_PIv/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31091" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/spectra-labs-redacted-title/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Spectra Labs redacted title" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-31091" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?resize=468%2C264&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="264" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Spectra-Labs-redacted-title.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you can’t see the Spectra Labs slides, click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T2FP3ks2rHi3gCe6vGof1SRog8ke_PIv/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><u>here</u></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>What’s Next For These Teams?<br /> </strong>When they graduate, the Stanford students on these teams have the pick of jobs in startups, companies, and consulting firms. House of Laws got accepted and has already started at Y-Combinator. L-Infinity, Dynamics Space Operations team (now Juno Astrodynamics,) and Spectra Labs are started work this week at <a href="https://www.h4xlabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H4X Labs,</a> an accelerator focused on building dual-use companies that sell to both the government and commercial firms. Many of the teams will continue to work with their problem sponsor. Several will join the Stanford <a href="https://gordianknot.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation</a> which is focused on the intersection of policy, operational concepts, and technology.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In our post class survey 86% of the students said that the class had impact on their immediate next steps in their career. Over 75% said it changed their opinion of working with the Department of Defense and other USG organizations.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>It Takes A Village<br /> </strong>While I authored this blog post, this class is a team project. The secret sauce of the success of Hacking for Defense at Stanford is the extraordinary group of dedicated volunteers supporting our students in so many critical ways.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The teaching team consisted of myself and:</p> <ul style="font-weight: 400;"> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Newell</a>, retired Army Colonel and ex Director of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, now CEO of <a href="http://www.bmnt.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BMNT</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/people/joseph_felter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Felter</a><u>,</u> retired Army Colonel; and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania; and William J. Perry Fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.</li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sweinstein/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Weinstein</a><u>,</u> partner at <a href="https://americasfrontier.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America’s Frontier Fund</a>, 30-year veteran of Silicon Valley technology companies and Hollywood media companies. Steve was CEO of <a href="https://movielabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MovieLabs</a>, the joint R&D lab of all the major motion picture studios. He runs <a href="https://www.h4xlabs.com/">H4X Labs</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/people/jeff-decker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Decker</a><u>,</u> a Stanford researcher focusing on dual-use research. Jeff served in the U.S. Army as a special operations light infantry squad leader in Iraq and Afghanistan.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="31053" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/h4d-2024-teaching-team/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,768" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 15 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1717532867","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.7649998656528","iso":"640","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="H4D 2024 Teaching Team" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?fit=468%2C351&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-31053" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-2024-Teaching-Team.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>Our teaching assistants this year were Joel Johnson, Malika Aubakirova, Spencer Paul, Ethan Tiao, Evan Szablowski, and Josh Pickering. A special thanks to the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and its <a href="https://www.nsin.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Security Innovation Network</a> (NSIN) for supporting the program at Stanford and across the country, as well as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>31 Sponsors, Business and National Security Mentors<br /> </strong>The teams were assisted by the originators of their problems – the sponsors.</p> <div class="elementToProof"><em>Sponsors</em>: Jackie Tame, Nate Huston, Mark Breier, Dave Wiltse, Katherine Beamer, Jeff Fields, Dave Miller, Shannon Rooney, and David Ryan.</div> <div></div> <div class="elementToProof"><em>National Security Mentors</em> helped students who came into the class with no knowledge of the Dept of Defense, State and the FBI understand the complexity, intricacies and nuances of those organizations: Brad Boyd, Matt MacGregor, David Vernal, Alphanso “Fonz” Adams, Ray Powell, Sam Townsend, Tom Kulisz, Rich Lawson, Mark McVay, Nick Shenkin, David Arulanantham and Matt Lintker.</div> <div></div> <div class="elementToProof"><em>Business Mentors</em> helped the teams understand if their solutions could be a commercially successful business: Katie Tobin, Marco Romani, Rafi Holtzman, Rachel Costello, Donnie Hassletine, Craig Seidel, Diane Schrader and Matt Croce.</div> <p>Thanks to all!</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1856906550&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:103:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/24/hacking-for-defense-stanford-2024-lessons-learned-presentations/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"31004";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:9;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:76:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"You’re Invited: Hacking for Defense and Lean LaunchPad Final Presentations";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:107:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/03/youre-invited-hacking-for-defense-and-lean-launchpad-final-presentations/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:115:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/03/youre-invited-hacking-for-defense-and-lean-launchpad-final-presentations/#respond";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:00:35 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:19:"Hacking For Defense";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:14:"Lean LaunchPad";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30966";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:320:"Join us for the final presentations of our two Stanford classes this Tuesday June 4th and Wednesday June 5th. Tuesday = Hacking for Defense Wednesday = Lean Launchpad The presentations just get better every year. Attend in person or via Zoom. This year AI seems to be part of almost every team. Zoom link and […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5526:"<p>Join us for the final presentations of our two Stanford classes this <a href="https://lu.ma/mgpldql0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tuesday</a> June 4th and <a href="https://lu.ma/tl81cu15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wednesday </a>June 5th.</p> <p>Tuesday = <a href="https://lu.ma/mgpldql0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacking for Defense</a></p> <p>Wednesday = <a href="https://lu.ma/tl81cu15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lean Launchpad</a></p> <p>The presentations just get better every year. Attend in person or via Zoom.</p> <p>This year AI seems to be part of almost every team.</p> <p><a href="https://lu.ma/mgpldql0"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30971" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/03/youre-invited-hacking-for-defense-and-lean-launchpad-final-presentations/h4d-final-presentations/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&ssl=1" data-orig-size="750,1000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="H4D Final Presentations" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?fit=468%2C624&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30971" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?resize=468%2C624&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="624" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?w=750&ssl=1 750w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/H4D-Final-Presentations-.jpg?resize=113%2C150&ssl=1 113w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <h2 style="text-align: center;">Zoom link and RSVP for Hacking for Defense <a href="https://lu.ma/mgpldql0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h2> <hr /> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lu.ma/tl81cu15"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30978" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/06/03/youre-invited-hacking-for-defense-and-lean-launchpad-final-presentations/s24_llp_lessons-learned-presentations_poster-1/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?fit=1545%2C2000&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1545,2000" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Chapman Lee Ellsworth","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"S24_LLP_Lessons Learned Presentations_Poster - 1","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="S24_LLP_Lessons Learned Presentations_Poster – 1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?fit=232%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?fit=468%2C606&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30978 size-large" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=468%2C606&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="606" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=791%2C1024&ssl=1 791w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=232%2C300&ssl=1 232w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=116%2C150&ssl=1 116w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=768%2C994&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?resize=1187%2C1536&ssl=1 1187w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?w=1545&ssl=1 1545w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/S24_LLP_Lessons-Learned-Presentations_Poster.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>Zoom link and RSVP for Lean LaunchPad <a href="https://lu.ma/tl81cu15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></h2> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:112:"https://steveblank.com/2024/06/03/youre-invited-hacking-for-defense-and-lean-launchpad-final-presentations/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"0";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30966";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:10;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:74:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:8:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:18:"Gordon Bell R.I.P.";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/26/gordon-bell-r-i-p/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:61:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/26/gordon-bell-r-i-p/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Sun, 26 May 2024 13:00:37 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10:"Technology";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30915";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:284:"Gordon Bell passed on this month. I was a latecomer in Gordon Bell’s life. But he made a lasting impact on mine. The first time I laid eyes on Gordon Bell was in 1984 outside a restaurant in a Boston suburb when he pulled up in a Porsche. I was the head of Marketing for […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:9:"enclosure";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:3:"url";s:84:"https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hh55ult1io475l/Timelapse%201%20-%20Large%20Final.mov?dl=0";s:6:"length";s:1:"0";s:4:"type";s:15:"video/quicktime";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:12097:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">Gordon Bell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/technology/c-gordon-bell-dead.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed on</a> this month.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I was a latecomer in Gordon Bell’s life. But he made a lasting impact on mine.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The first time I laid eyes on Gordon Bell was in 1984 outside a restaurant in a Boston suburb when he pulled up in a Porsche. I was the head of Marketing for <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/mips-computers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MIPS Computer</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIPS_Technologies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RISC chip startup</a>. The entire company (all of five of us) were out visiting the east coast to meet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Computer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prime Computer</a> who would become our first major customer. (When Gordon was CTO of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encore_Computer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Encore Computer</a> he encouraged the MIPS founders to start the company, thinking they could provide the next processor for his <a href="http://www.cpu-ns32k.net/Encore.html">Multimax</a> computer.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">My West Coast centric world of computing had been limited to custom <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bit_slicing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bit-sliced computers</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_2100" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HP 2100 and 21MX</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdata" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Interdata </a>8/32 minicomputers and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zilog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zilog microprocessors</a>. Gordon was already a legend – as VP of Research and Development at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Equipment_Corporation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Digital Equipment Corporation</a> (DEC) he designed some of the early minicomputers and oversaw the creation of the <a href="https://gordonbell.azurewebsites.net/Digital/Bell_Retrospective_PDP11_paper_c1998.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAX 11-780</a>. His work at DEC revolutionized the computing industry, making powerful computing accessible.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Gordon Bell The Future of Computers MIT 1972" width="468" height="351" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8b5n0Wt4kiM?start=3232&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Even so, as we talked over dinner at first I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, until I realized that he had three or four levels of conversation going simultaneously, all interleaved. If you could keep them sorted it was fun to keep up with each thread. By dessert I became another member of the Gordon Bell fan club.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Two years later, on a lunch break in downtown Palo Alto I ran into Gordon again. He was out to attend a <a href="https://exhibits.stanford.edu/feigenbaum/catalog/jj609kc7028" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teknowledge</a> board meeting. I invited him over to meet the founding team of <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/ardent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ardent,</a> our new startup, whose founders he knew from DEC. By the end of the day Gordon had joined our team as founding VP of Engineering and another phase in my education was about to begin.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">As an entrepreneur in my 20’s and 30’s, I was lucky to have four extraordinary mentors, each brilliant in his own field and each a decade or two older than me. While <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wegbreit-22192/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">others </a>taught me how to think, it was <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/gbell/bio.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gordon Bell</a> who taught me <em>what</em> to think about. He could see the destination clearer than anyone I’ve ever met. The best part of my day was hearing him tell me about 3 ideas at a time and me do the same back to him. He had an extraordinary instinct for guiding me away from the purely dumb paths that would lead nowhere and nudge me on to the <a href="https://gordonbell.azurewebsites.net/CyberMuseum_contents/Ardent_New_Class_of_Computing_Poster_1988.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more productive roads</a>. (He had this warm laugh, a kind of a chuckle when he was listening to some of more dumber ideas.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">At Digital Equipment Gordon had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell%27s_law_of_computer_classes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed a heuristic</a> that attempted to <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4785818" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predict the evolution of the next class of computers</a>. And when he left DEC he created the <a href="https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=966806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bell-Mason diagnostic</a> to help predict patterns in successful startups. The idea that there was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_startup#:~:text=Lean%20startup%20is%20a%20methodology,product%20releases%2C%20and%20validated%20learning." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pattern about startup success and failure</a> would stick in the back of my head for decades and shape the second half of my career. And as he was brainstorming about some of the early ideas about what became his My<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyLifeBits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LifeBits</a> project I was inspired to start a <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hh55ult1io475l/Timelapse%201%20-%20Large%20Final.mov?dl=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small version of my own</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For the next 15 years Gordon would help me understand how to think critically about the possibilities over the horizon. Yet at the same time Gordon was looking forward, he was teaching us to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Bell_Origin_of_the_Computer_History_Museum_v2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">respect and learn from the past</a>.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Computer Pioneers: Pioneer Computers Part 1" width="468" height="351" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qundvme1Tik?start=76&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Gordon and his wife Gwen started a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Computer_Museum,_Boston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">computer history museum</a> and by 1983 moved it into renovated warehouse next to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Children%27s_Museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston Children’s Museum</a>. In 1986 I spent two weeks making a short movie about the history of high-performance computing at the museum. Gordon and Gwen put me up in their guest bedroom overlooking Boston Harbor and a short walk across the Congress Street bridge to the museum. This not only began my long-term love affair with the museum but also made me realize that computer history and the history of innovation clusters were missing the story of <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the military and intelligence community had shaped the trajectory of post WWII technology</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Seven years later, in <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/supermac/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">my next startup</a>, I would end up staying in their apartment again, this time with my wife and two young daughters, to attend the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macworld/iWorld" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MacWorld trade show</a>. I vividly remember the girls running around their living room decorated with many of the artifacts the museum didn’t have room to display (with Gwen patiently telling them that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arithmometer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arithmometer</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napier%27s_bones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Napier’s Bones</a> weren’t toys.) For the next few years, we’d return (with the artifacts safely hidden away.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By the time I started my final startup <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/epiphany/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Epiphany</a>, Gordon was at Microsoft, and he became my most valuable advisor.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Gordon was not only a mentor and inspiration to me, but to countless engineers and computer scientists. It was a privilege to know him.</p> <div id="attachment_30917" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30917" data-attachment-id="30917" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/26/gordon-bell-r-i-p/steve-blank-and-gordon/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?fit=2048%2C1360&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2048,1360" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"11","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 10D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1092976686","copyright":"","focal_length":"60","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Steve Blank and Gordon" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?fit=300%2C199&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?fit=468%2C311&ssl=1" class="wp-image-30917 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="199" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=300%2C199&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=1024%2C680&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=150%2C100&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=768%2C510&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1020&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?w=2048&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Steve-Blank-and-Gordon.jpeg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-30917" class="wp-caption-text">2004</p></div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I’ll miss him.</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1832572926&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:57:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/26/gordon-bell-r-i-p/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"10";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30915";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:11;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:73:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:36:"The Venture Mindset – Worth A Read";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/21/the-venture-mindset-worth-a-read/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:76:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/21/the-venture-mindset-worth-a-read/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 21 May 2024 13:00:03 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Venture Capital";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30888";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:339:"Ilya Strebulaev at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Director of the Stanford Venture Capital Initiative just came out with a book that should be on your reading list – The Venture Mindset. The books premise is that Venture Capitalists (who were responsible for the launch of one-fifth of the 300 largest U.S. public […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5604:"<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilya_Strebulaev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ilya Strebulaev</a> at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Director of the <a href="https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/labs-initiatives/vci" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stanford Venture Capital Initiative</a> just came out with a book that should be on your reading list – The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593714237/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venture Mindset</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593714237/"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30896" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/21/the-venture-mindset-worth-a-read/screenshot-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?fit=512%2C782&ssl=1" data-orig-size="512,782" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"Screenshot","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"Screenshot","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Screenshot" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>Screenshot</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?fit=196%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?fit=468%2C715&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30896" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?resize=63%2C96&ssl=1" alt="" width="63" height="96" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?resize=98%2C150&ssl=1 98w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?resize=196%2C300&ssl=1 196w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Venture-Mindset-Cover-1.jpg?w=512&ssl=1 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 63px) 100vw, 63px" /></a></p> <p>The books premise is that Venture Capitalists (who were responsible for the launch of one-fifth of the 300 largest U.S. public companies) have a different mindset then that found in the rest of the business world (and I would add in government agencies.) All these startups could have come from inside an existing company—but they didn’t.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The book answers why that’s so. And why are venture firms good at finding start-ups that turn into unicorns – what are the skills that VC firms have that companies don’t? And most importantly, can you/your company learn those skills?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Venture Mindset is built around 9 key ideas:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30891" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/21/the-venture-mindset-worth-a-read/9-key-principles-venture-mindset/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?fit=478%2C436&ssl=1" data-orig-size="478,436" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="9 key principles venture mindset" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?fit=300%2C274&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?fit=468%2C427&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30891 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?resize=300%2C274&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="274" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?resize=300%2C274&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?resize=150%2C137&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/9-key-principles-venture-mindset.jpg?w=478&ssl=1 478w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re a founder looking to raise capital, this book will help you understand how VC’s are evaluating your company. (I wish I had read this book at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re in a large company or government agency this book will help you understand the difference between “fail-safe” bets needed in sustaining the core business, versus “safe-to-fail” bets, needed in creating new businesses and/or disruptive capabilities.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Definitely worth a read.</p> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:72:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/21/the-venture-mindset-worth-a-read/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"3";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30888";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:12;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:79:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:55:"Secret History – When Kodak Went to War with Polaroid";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:86:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:95:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Thu, 16 May 2024 13:00:49 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:3:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Corporate/Gov't Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:2;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"Secret History of Silicon Valley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30827";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:327:"This part 2 of the Secret History of Polaroid and Edwin Land. Read part 1 for context. Kodak and Polaroid, the two most famous camera companies of the 20th century, had a great partnership for 20+ years. Then in an inexplicable turnabout Kodak decided to destroy Polaroid’s business. To this day, every story of why […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:37144:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">This part 2 of the Secret History of Polaroid and Edwin Land. <a href="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read part 1</a> for context.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Kodak and Polaroid, the two most famous camera companies of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, had a great partnership for 20+ years. Then in an inexplicable turnabout Kodak decided to destroy Polaroid’s business. To this day, every story of why Kodak went to war with Polaroid is wrong.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The real reason can be found in the highly classified world of overhead reconnaissance satellites.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s the real story.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In April 1969 Kodak tore up a 20-year manufacturing partnership with Polaroid. In a surprise to everyone at Polaroid, Kodak declared war. They terminated their agreement to supply Polaroid with negative film for Polacolor – the only color film Polaroid had on the market. Kodak gave Polaroid two years’ notice but immediately raised the film price 10% in the U.S. and 50% internationally. And Kodak publicly announced they were going to make film for Polaroid’s cameras – a knife to the heart for Polaroid as film sales were what made Polaroid profitable. Shortly thereafter, Kodak announced they were also going to make instant cameras in direct competition with Polaroid cameras. In short, they were going after every part of Polaroid’s business.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">What happened in April 1969 they caused Kodak to react this way?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">And what was the result?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><em>Read the sidebar</em></strong><em> for a Background on Film and Instant Photography </em></p> <div style="background-color: #ededed;"> <div style="border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;"> <p>Today we take for granted that images can be seen and sent instantaneously on all our devices — phone, computers, tablets, etc. But that wasn’t always the case.</p> <p><strong>Film Photography<br /> </strong>It wasn’t until the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century that it was possible to permanently capture an image. For the next 30 years photography was in the hands of an elite set of professionals. Each photo they took was captured on individual glass plates they coated with chemicals. To make a print, the photographers had to process the plates in more chemicals. Neither the cameras nor processing were within the realm of a consumer. But in 1888 Kodak changed that when they introduced a real disruptive innovation – a camera preloaded with <a href="https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/eastman-kodak.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a spool of strippable paper film with 100-exposures that consumers</a>, rather than professional photographers, could use. When the roll was finished, the entire camera was sent back to the Kodak lab in Rochester, NY, where it was reloaded and returned to the customer while the first roll was being processed. But the real revolution happened in 1900 when Kodak introduced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Brownie">the Brownie camera</a> with replaceable film spools. This made photography available to a mass market. You just sent the film to be developed, not the camera.</p> <p>Up until 1936 consumer cameras captured images in black in white. That year Kodak introduced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome">Kodachrome</a>, the first color film for slides. In 1942, they introduced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodacolor_(still_photography)">Kodacolor</a> for prints.</p> <p>While consumers now had easy-to-use cameras, the time between taking a picture and seeing the picture had a long delay. The film inside the camera needed to be developed and printed. After you clicked the shutter and took the picture, you sent the film to a drop-off point in a store. They sent your film to a large <a href="https://youtu.be/hFyM_26E40U?feature=shared&t=40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regional photo processing lab</a> that developed the film (using a bath of chemicals), then printed the photos as physical pictures. You would get your pictures back in days or a week. (In the late 1970s, mini-photo processing labs dramatically shortened that process, offering 1-hour photo development.) Meanwhile…</p> <p><strong>Instant Photography<br /> </strong>In 1937 Edwin Land co-founded Polaroid to make an optical filter called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polarizers</a>. They were used in photographic filters, glare-free sunglasses, and products that gave the illusion of 3-D. During WWII Polaroid made anti-glare goggles for soldiers and pilots, gun sights, viewfinders, cameras, and other optical devices with polarizing lenses.</p> <p>In 1948 Polaroid pivoted. They launched what would become synonymous with an “Instant Camera.” In its first instant camera — the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBoOjxEN6r0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Model 95</a> – the film contained all the necessary chemicals to “instantly” develop a photo. The instant film was made of two parts – a negative sheet that lined up with a positive sheet with the chemicals in between squeezed through a set of rollers. <em>The negative sheet was manufactured by Kodak</em>. Instead of days or weeks, it now took less than 90 seconds to see your picture.</p> </div> </div> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30865" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/polaroid-camera-ad/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?fit=1410%2C1126&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1410,1126" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Polaroid camera ad" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?fit=300%2C240&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?fit=468%2C374&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30865" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?resize=468%2C374&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="374" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?resize=1024%2C818&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?resize=150%2C120&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?resize=768%2C613&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?w=1410&ssl=1 1410w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polaroid-camera-ad.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <div style="background-color: #ededed;"> <div style="border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;"> <p>For the next 30 years Polaroid made evolutionary better Instant Cameras. In 1963 Polacolor Instant color film was introduced. In 1973 the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaroid_SX-70" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera</a> was introduced with a new type of instant film that no longer had to be peeled apart.</p> </div> </div> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>A Secret Grudge Match</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;">To understand why Kodak tried to put Polaroid out of business you need to know some of most classified secrets of the Cold War.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Project GENETRIX and The U-2</strong><em> – Balloon and Airplane Reconnaissance over the Soviet Union<br /> </em>During the Cold War with the Soviet Union the U.S. intelligence community was <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/1960-08-19b.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desperate for intelligence</a>. In the early 1950s the U.S. sent <a href="https://steveblank.com/2010/01/28/balloon-wars/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unmanned reconnaissance balloons</a> over the Soviet Union.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Next, from 1956-1960 the CIA flew the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2">Lockheed U-2</a> spy plane over the Soviet Union on 24 missions, taking <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB54/st04.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photos of its military installations</a>. (The U-2 program was <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB74/U2-03.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kicked off by a 1954 memo from Edwin Land (Polaroid CEO) to the director of the CIA</a>.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The U-2 cameras used Kodak film, processed in a secret Kodak lab codenamed <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/history/csnr/programs/docs/Bridgehead%20Eastman%20Kodak%20Company.pdf?ver=2019-03-29-1031353-233&timestamp=1553870223588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bridgehead</a>. In May 1960 a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_U-2_incident">U-2 was shot down</a> inside Soviet territory and the U.S. stopped aircraft overflights of the Soviet Union. But luckily in 1956 the U.S. intelligence community had concluded that the future of gathering intelligence over the Soviet Union would be with spy satellites orbiting in space.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Air Force – SAMOS – </strong><em> 1<sup>st</sup> Generation Photo Reconnaissance Satellites<br /> </em>By the late 1950s the Department of Defense decided that the future of photo reconnaissance satellites would be via an Air Force program codenamed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samos_(satellite)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAMOS</a>.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30838" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/bimat-scanner/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?fit=195%2C122&ssl=1" data-orig-size="195,122" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="BIMAT Scanner" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?fit=195%2C122&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?fit=195%2C122&ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-30838 alignright" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?resize=195%2C122&ssl=1" alt="" width="195" height="122" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?w=195&ssl=1 195w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/BIMAT-Scanner.jpg?resize=150%2C94&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The first <a href="https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA606620.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAMOS</a> satellites would have a camera that would take pictures and develop them while orbiting earth using special <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP33-02415A000500120032-7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kodak Bimat film</a>, then scan the negative and transmit the image to a ground station. After multiple rocket failures and realization that the resolution and number of images the satellite could downlink would be woefully inadequate for the type and number of targets (it would take 3 hours to downlink the photos from a single pass), the film read-out SAMOS satellites were canceled.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong><em>Sidebar</em></strong><em>– Kodak Goes to The Moon<br /> </em></p> <div style="background-color: #ededed;"> <div style="border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;">While the Kodak Bimat film and scanner <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/foia/declass/mol/824.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never made it</a> as an intelligence reconnaissance system around the earth, it did make it to the moon. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/lunar-orbiters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA’s Lunar Orbiter</a> program to map the moon <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunar_orbiter/book/introduction.shtml#:~:text=Kodak%20Bimat%20film%20consists%20of,contact%20on%20the%20processing%20drum." target="_blank" rel="noopener">got their Kodak <u>Bimat film</u> and scanner camera</a>s from the defunct SAMOS program. In 1966 and ‘67 NASA successfully launched 5 Lunar Orbiters around the moon developing the film onboard and transmitting a total of 3,062pictures to earth. (The resolution of the images and the fact that it took <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19660009057/downloads/19660009057.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">40 minutes to send each photo</a> back was fine for NASA’s needs.)</div> </div> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>CIA’s CORONA – </strong><em>2<sup>nd</sup> Generation Photo Reconnaissance Satellites<br /> </em>It was the CIA’s <a href="https://www.cia.gov/legacy/museum/exhibit/corona-americas-first-imaging-satellite-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CORONA film-based photo reconnaissance satellites</a> that first succeeded in returning intelligence photos from space. Designed as a rapid cheap hack, it was intended as a stopgap until more capable systems entered service. Fairchild built the first few CORONA cameras, but ultimately <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/foia/CAL-Records/Cabinet2/DrawerA/2%20A%200090.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Itek became the camera system s</a>upplier. CORONA sent the exposed film back to earth in reentry vehicles that were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdsn4snbzjo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recovered in mid-air</a>. The film was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_processing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">developed</a> by Kodak at their secret <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/history/csnr/programs/docs/Bridgehead%20Eastman%20Kodak%20Company.pdf?ver=2019-03-29-1031353-233&timestamp=1553870223588" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bridgehead</a> lab and sent to intelligence analysts in the <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP81M00980R001900010055-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CIA’s National Photographic Interpretation Center</a> (NPIC) who examined the film. (While orbiting 94 miles above the earth the cameras achieved 4 ½-foot resolution.) CORONA was kept in service from 1960 to 1972, completing 145 missions.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30857" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/corona-recon-systems-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?fit=310%2C365&ssl=1" data-orig-size="310,365" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="CORONA Recon Systems" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?fit=255%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?fit=310%2C365&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30857 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?resize=255%2C300&ssl=1" alt="" width="255" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?resize=255%2C300&ssl=1 255w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?resize=127%2C150&ssl=1 127w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/CORONA-Recon-Systems.png?w=310&ssl=1 310w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 255px) 100vw, 255px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Film recovery via reentry vehicles would be the standard for the next 16 years.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Sidebar</strong> – <em>The CIA versus the National Reconnaissance Office</em> (NRO)</p> <div style="background-color: #ededed;"> <div style="border: 2px solid black; padding: 5px;"> <p>With the CIA’s success with CORONA, and the failure of the Air Force original SAMOS program, the Department of Defense felt the CIA was usurping its role in Reconnaissance. In 1961 it was agreed that all satellite Reconnaissance would be coordinated by a single <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB35/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Reconnaissance Office</a> (the NRO). For 31 years satellite and spy plane reconnaissance was organized as four separate covert programs:</p> <p>Program A – Air Force satellite programs: SAMOS, GAMBIT, DORIAN…<br /> Program B – CIA satellite programs: CORONA, HEXAGON, KEENAN…<br /> Program C – Navy satellite programs: GRAB, POPPY …<br /> Program D – CIA/Air Force reconnaissance Aircraft: U-2, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_A-12">A-12</a>/SR-71, ST/POLLY, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_D-21">D-21</a>…</p> <p>While this setup was rational on paper, the CIA and NRO would have a <a href="https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/monograph/nro/nromono.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decades -long political battle over who would specify, design, build and task reconnaissance satellites</a>. The CIA’s outside expert on imaging reconnaissance satellites was… Edwin Land CEO of Polaroid.</p> <p>The NRO’s existence wasn’t even acknowledged until 1992.</p> </div> </div> <p><strong>Air Force/NRO – GAMBIT</strong> – <em>3<sup>rd</sup> Generation Film Photo Reconnaissance Satellites<br /> </em>After the failure of the SAMOS on-orbit scanning system, the newly established National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) regrouped and adopted film recovery via reentry vehicles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Prodded by the NRO and Air Force, <a href="https://archive.org/details/nro-gamhex-docs/4%20-%20Eastman%20Kodak%20Blanket%20Proposal/mode/2up?view=theater" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Kodak</em> put in an “unsolicited” proposal</a> for a next-generation imaging satellite codenamed <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/1279/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GAMBIT</a>. Kodak cameras on GAMBIT had <em>much</em> better resolution than the Itek cameras on CORONA. In orbit 80 miles up, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUIakZq0JGk&t=314s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GAMBIT</a> had high-resolution spotting capability – but in a narrow field of view. This complemented the CORONA broad area imaging. GAMBIT-1 (KH-7) produced images of 2-4 feet in resolution. It flew for 38 missions from July 1963 to June 1967. The follow-on program, GAMBIT-3 (KH-8), provided even sharper images with resolution measured in inches. GAMBiT-3 flew for 54 missions from July 1966 to August 1984. The resolution of GAMBITs photos wouldn’t be surpassed for decades.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30836" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/satellite-recon-systems-gambit/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?fit=2880%2C1620&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2880,1620" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Satellite Recon Systems GAMBIT" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-30836" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?resize=2048%2C1152&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-GAMBIT.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>CIA – HEXAGON</strong> – <em>4<sup>th</sup> Generation Film Photo Reconnaissance Satellites<br /> </em>Meanwhile the CIA decided <u>it</u> was going to build the next generation reconnaissance satellite after GAMBIT. Hexagon represented another technological leap forward. Unlike GAMBIT that had a narrow field of view, the CIA proposed a satellite that could photograph a 300-nautical-mile-wide by 16.8-nautical-mile-long area in a single frame. Unlike GAMBIT whose cameras were made by Kodak, <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/foia/declass/GAMHEX/GAMBIT%20and%20HEXAGON%20Histories/2.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HEXAGON’s</a> cameras would be made by Perkin Elmer.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30837" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/satellite-recon-systems-hexagon/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?fit=2880%2C1620&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2880,1620" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Satellite Recon Systems hexagon" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-30837" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=468%2C263&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="263" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?resize=2048%2C1152&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Satellite-Recon-Systems-hexagon.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>CIA Versus NRO – HEXAGON versus DORIAN<br /> </strong>In 1969 the new Nixon administration was looking to cut spending and the intelligence budget was a big target. There were several new, very expensive programs being built: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KH-9_Hexagon">HEXAGON</a>, the CIA’s school bus-sized film satellite; and a military space station: the NRO/Air Force <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/2560/1">Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)</a> with its <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4654/1">DORIAN KH-10 film-based camera</a> (made by Kodak). There was also a proposed high-resolution GAMBIT-follow-on satellite called FROG (Film Read Out GAMBIT) – again with a Kodak <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP33-02415A000500120032-7.pdf">Bimat camera</a> and a laser scanner.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In March 1969, President Nixon canceled the CIA’s HEXAGON satellite program in favor of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_Orbiting_Laboratory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Manned Orbiting Laboratory</a> (MOL), the Air Force space station with the Kodak DORIAN camera. It looked like Kodak had won and the CIA’s proposal lost.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">However, the CIA fought back.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The next month, in April 1969, the Director of the CIA used the recommendation of CIA’s reconnaissance intelligence panel – <em>headed by Edwin Land (Polaroid’s CEO)</em> to get President Nixon to reverse his decision. Land’s panel argued that HEXAGON was essential to monitoring arms control treaties with the Soviet Union. Land said <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/foia/declass/mol/705.pdf">DORIAN would be useless because astronauts on the military space station could only photograph small amounts of territory, missing other things that could be a few miles away</a>. In contrast, HEXAGON covered so much territory that there was simply no place for the Soviet Union to hide any forbidden bombers or missiles.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Land’s reconnaissance panel recommended: 1) canceling the manned part of the NRO/Air Force <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/2560/1">Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)</a> and 2) using the DORIAN optics in a robotic system (which was ultimately never built) and 3) urging the President to instead start “highest priority” development of a “simple, long-life imaging satellite, using an array of photosensitive elements to convert the image to electrical signals for immediate transmission.” (This would become the KH-11 KEENAN, <em>ending the need for film-based cameras in space.)</em></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The result was:</p> <ul> <li>Nixon <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/foia/declass/mol/698.pdf">canceled</a> NRO/Air Force <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/foia/declass/mol/800.pdf">Manned Orbiting Laboratory</a> (MOL) and its Kodak <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4654/1">DORIAN film-based camera</a>,</li> <li>Nixon told the CIA to build the HEXAGON satellite with its Perkin Elmer camera.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Over the next two years, Land <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/foia/declass/MAJOR%20NRO%20PROGRAMS%20&%20PROJECTS/NRO%20EOI/SC-2016-00001_C05093212.pdf">lobbied against the GAMBIT follow-on called FROG and after a contentious fight effectively killed it</a> in 1971. But most importantly Nixon gave the go-ahead to build the CIA’s KH-11 KEENAN electronic imaging satellite – <em>dooming film-based satellites – and all of Kodak’s satellite business.</em></p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Why Did Kodak Go to War With Polaroid?</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Finally we can now understand why Kodak was furious at Polaroid. <em><u>The CEO of Polaroid killed Kodak’s satellite reconnaissance business.</u></em></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Kodak’s 1970 annual report said, “Government sales dropped precipitously from $248 million in 1969 to $160 million in 1970, a decline of nearly 36 percent.” (That’s <em>¾’s of a billion dollars</em> in today’s dollars.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The DORIAN camera on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and the very high-resolution GAMBIT FROG follow-on <em>were all Kodak camera systems</em> built in Kodak’s K-Program, a highly classified segment of the company. In April 1969 when MOL/DORIAN KH-10 was canceled, Kodak laid off 1,500 people from that division.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Kodak also had 1<a href="https://rbj.net/2012/11/23/undercover-covert-photographic-operations-center-existed-at-kodak-plant/">,400 people in a special facility that developed the film</a> codenamed <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/135/documents/history/csnr/programs/docs/Bridgehead%20Eastman%20Kodak%20Company.pdf?ver=2019-03-29-1031353-233&timestamp=1553870223588">Bridgehead</a>. With film gone from reconnaissance satellites, only small amounts were needed for U-2 flights. Another 1,000+ people ultimately would be let go.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Louis Eilers had been Kodak president since 1967 and in 1969 became CEO. He had been concerned about Land’s advocacy of the CIA’s programs that shut out Kodak of HEXAGON. But he went ballistic when he learned of the role Edwin Land played in killing the Manned Orbiting Lab (MOL) and the Kodak DORIAN KH-10 camera.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Kodak’s Revenge and Ultimate Loss<br /> </strong>In 1963 when Polaroid launched its first color instant film — Polacolor – Kodak manufactured Polacolor’s film negative. By 1969 Polaroid was paying Kodak $50 million a year to manufacture that film. (~$400 million in today’s dollars.) Kodak tore up that manufacturing relationship in 1969 after the MOL/DORIAN cancelation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Kodak then went further. In 1969 they started two projects: create their own instant cameras to compete with Polaroid and create instant film for Polaroid cameras – Polaroid made their profits on selling film.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In 1976 Kodak came out with two instant cameras — the EK-4 and EK-6 –and instant film that could be used in Polaroid cameras. Polaroid immediately sued, claiming Kodak had infringed on Polaroid patents. <a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30842" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/kodak-ek-4/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?fit=680%2C540&ssl=1" data-orig-size="680,540" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Kodak EK-4" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?fit=300%2C238&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?fit=468%2C372&ssl=1" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-30842" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?resize=300%2C238&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="238" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?resize=300%2C238&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?resize=150%2C119&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kodak-EK-4.jpg?w=680&ssl=1 680w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>The lawsuit went on for 9 years. Finally, in 1985 a court ruled that Kodak infringed on Polaroid patents and Kodak was forced to pull their cameras off store shelves and stop making them. Six years later, in 1991, Polaroid was awarded $925 million in damages from Kodak.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Epilogue<br /> </strong>1976 was a landmark year for both Kodak and Polaroid. It was the beginning of their 15-year patent battle, but it was also the beginning of the end of film photography from space. <a href="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">That December the first digital imaging satellite, KH-11 KEENAN, went into orbit</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">After Land’s forced retirement in 1982, Polaroid never introduced a completely new product again. Everything was a refinement or repackaging of what it had figured out already. By the early ’90s, the alarms were clanging away; bankruptcy came in 2001.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Kodak could never leave its roots in film and missed being a leader in digital photography. It filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012, exited legacy businesses and sold off its patents before re-emerging as a sharply smaller company in 2013.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Today, descendants of the KH-11 KENNEN continue to operate in orbit.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Read all the Secret History posts <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/#Secret%20History%20Backstory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></strong></p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1825626108&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"7";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30827";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:13;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:79:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:45:"The Secret History of Polaroid CEO Edwin Land";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:121:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:130:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 30 Apr 2024 13:00:59 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:3:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Corporate/Gov't Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:2;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:32:"Secret History of Silicon Valley";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30767";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:363:"The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises. December 1976 – Vandenberg Air Force Base, U.S. military space port on the coast of California As a Titan IIID rocket blasted off, it carried a spacecraft on top that would change everything about how intelligence from space was gathered. Heading […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15714:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">The connections between the world of national security and commercial companies still has surprises.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>December 1976 – Vandenberg Air Force Base, U.S. military space port</strong> <strong>on the coast of California</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">As a Titan IIID rocket blasted off, it carried a spacecraft on top that would change everything about how intelligence from space was gathered. Heading to space was the first <em>digital</em> photo reconnaissance satellite. A revolution in spying from space had just begun.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30771" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/kh-11-launch/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?fit=122%2C158&ssl=1" data-orig-size="122,158" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="KH-11 Launch" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?fit=122%2C158&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?fit=122%2C158&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-30771" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?resize=116%2C150&ssl=1" alt="" width="116" height="150" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?resize=116%2C150&ssl=1 116w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/KH-11-Launch.jpg?w=122&ssl=1 122w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 116px) 100vw, 116px" /></a>For the previous 16 years three generations of U.S. photo reconnaissance satellites (257 in total) took pictures of the Soviet Union on <em>film,</em> then sent the film back to earth on reentry vehicles that were recovered in mid-air. After the film was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photographic_processing">developed</a>, intelligence analysts examined it trying to find and understand the Soviet Union’s latest missiles, aircraft, and ships. By the mid-1970s these photo reconnaissance satellites could see objects as small as a few inches from space. By then, the latest U.S. <em>film</em>-based reconnaissance satellite – Hexagon – was the size of a school bus and had six of these reentry vehicles that could send its film back to earth. Though state of the art for its time, the setup had a drawback: Pictures they returned might be days, weeks or even months old. That meant in a crisis – e.g. the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 or the Arab-Israeli war in 1973 – photo reconnaissance satellites could not provide timely warnings and indications, revealing what an adversary was up to right now. The holy grail for overhead imaging from space was to send the pictures to intelligence analysts on the ground in near real time.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">And now, finally after a decade of work by the CIA’s Science and Technology Division, the first digital photo reconnaissance satellite – the KH-11, code-named KENNEN – which could do all that, was heading to orbit. For the first time pictures from space were going to head back to the ground via bits, showing images in near real time.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The KH-11/ KENNEN project was not a better version of existing film satellites, it was an example of disruptive innovation. Today, we take for granted that billions of cell phones have digital cameras, but in the 1970s getting a computer chip to “see” was science fiction. To do so required a series of technology innovations in digital imaging sensors, and the CIA funded years of sensor research at multiple research centers and companies. That allowed them to build the KH-11 sensor (first with a silicon diode array, and then the using first linear CCD arrays), which turned the images seen by the satellites’ powerful telescope into bits.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Getting those bits to the ground no longer required reentry vehicles carrying film, but it did require the launch of a network of relay satellites (code named <a href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3440/1">QUASAR (aka SDS, Satellite Data System</a>). While the KH-11 was taking pictures over the Soviet Union, the images were passed as bits from satellite to satellite at the speed of light, then downlinked to a ground station in the U.S. New ground stations were built to handle a large, fast stream of digital data. And the photo analysts required new equipment.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">More importantly, like most projects that disrupt the status quo, it required a technical visionary who understood how the pieces would create a radically new system, and a champion with immense credibility in imaging and national security who could save the project each time the incumbents tried to kill it — even convincing the President of the United States to reverse its cancelation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">More detail in a bit. But let’s fast forward, four months later, to a seemingly unrelated story…</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>April 1977 – Needham, MA, Polaroid Annual Meeting<br /> </strong>Edwin Land, the 67-year-old founder/CEO/chairman and director of research of <a href="https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/polaroid/timeline/">Polaroid</a>, the company that had been shipping instant cameras for 30 years, stood on stage and launched his own holy grail – and his last hurrah – an instant <em>film</em>-based home-movie camera called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDkBx4fvY4w">Polavision</a>. At the time, you sent your home movie film out to get developed and you’d be able to view it in days or a week. Land was demoing an instant movie. You filmed a movie and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpH8jIVgxwg">90 seconds later you could see it</a>. It was a technical tour de force – remember this was pre-digital, so the ability to instantly develop and show a movie seemed like magic. Much like the KH-11/KEENAN it also was a complete system – camera, instant film, and player. It truly was the pinnacle of analog engineering.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30776" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/polavision-ad-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?fit=1810%2C1241&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1810,1241" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Polavision ad" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?fit=300%2C206&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?fit=468%2C321&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30776" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=468%2C321&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="321" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?w=1810&ssl=1 1810w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=300%2C206&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=1024%2C702&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=150%2C103&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=768%2C527&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?resize=1536%2C1053&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Polavision-ad.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>But <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDkBx4fvY4w">Polavision</a> was a commercial disaster. Potential customers found it uncompelling and its $3,500 price (in today’s dollars) daunting. You could only record up to 2½ minutes of film. And believe it or not, with Polavision you couldn’t record sound with the movies. The 8mm film couldn’t be played back on existing 8mm projectors and could only be viewed on a special player with a 12” projection screen. There was no way to edit the film. It was a closed system. Worse, two years earlier Sony had introduced the first Betamax VCR and JVC had just introduced VHS recorders that could hold hours of video that could be edited. The video recorders looked like a better bet on the future. Polaroid discontinued Polavision two years later in 1979.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For decades Land’s unerring instincts for instant products delighted customers. However, Polavision was the second misstep for Land. In 1972 at Land’s insistence, Polaroid had prematurely announced the SX-70 camera – another technical tour de force – before it could scale manufacturing. In 1975 the board helped Land “decide” to step down as president and chief operating officer to let other execs handle manufacturing and scale.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But the biggest threat to Polaroid came in 1976, a year before the Polavision announcement, when Kodak entered Polaroid’s instant camera and film business with competitive products.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30778" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/sx-70-ad-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?fit=927%2C1280&ssl=1" data-orig-size="927,1280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1291306072","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="SX-70 ad" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?fit=217%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?fit=468%2C646&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30778 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?resize=217%2C300&ssl=1" alt="" width="217" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?resize=217%2C300&ssl=1 217w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?resize=742%2C1024&ssl=1 742w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?resize=109%2C150&ssl=1 109w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?resize=768%2C1060&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SX-70-ad.jpg?w=927&ssl=1 927w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 217px) 100vw, 217px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">After the Polavision debacle, Land was sidelined by the board, which no longer had faith in his technical and market vision. Land gave up the title of chairman in 1980. He resigned his board seat in 1982, and in 1985, bitter he had been forced out of the company he founded, he sold all his remaining stock, cutting all ties with the company.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Steve Jobs considered Land one of his first heroes, calling him “a national treasure.” (Take a look at part of <a href="https://youtu.be/zbmq9R0dtVg?feature=shared&t=780">a 1970 talk by Land</a> eerily describing something that sounds like an iPhone.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile, inside Polaroid Labs, work had begun on two new technologies Land had sponsored: inkjet printing and something called “filmless electronic photography.” Neither project got out the door because the new management was concerned about cannibalizing Polaroid’s film business. Instead they doubled down on selling and refining instant film. Polaroid’s first digital camera wouldn’t hit the market till 1996, by which time the battle had been lost.<strong> </strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>What on earth do these two stories have to do with each other?<br /> </strong>It turns out that the person who had consulted on every one of the film-based photo reconnaissance satellites – Corona, Gambit, and Hexagon – was also the U.S. government’s most esteemed expert on imaging and spy satellites. He was the same person who championed replacing the film-based photo satellites with digital imaging. And was the visionary who pushed the CIA forward on KH-11/KEENAN. By 1977, this person knew more about the <em>application of</em> <em>digital</em> imaging then anyone on the planet.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Who was that?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>It was Edwin Land, the Founder/Chairman of Polaroid – </em>the same guy that introduced the film-based Polavision.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">More in the next installment <a href="https://steveblank.com/2024/05/16/secret-history-when-kodak-went-to-war-with-polaroid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>Read all the Secret History posts <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/#Secret%20History%20Backstory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></strong></p> <hr /> <p><strong>Read all the Secret History posts <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/#Secret%20History%20Backstory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></strong></p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1825193580&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:126:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/30/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-the-secret-life-of-polaroid-ceo-edwin-land-part-1/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"6";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30767";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:14;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:76:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:47:"Founders Need to Be Ruthless When Chasing Deals";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/16/founders-need-to-be-ruthless-when-chasing-deals/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/16/founders-need-to-be-ruthless-when-chasing-deals/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 16 Apr 2024 13:00:20 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"Customer Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:"E.piphany";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30742";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:354:"One of the most exciting things a startup CEO in a business-to-business market can hear from a potential customer is, “We’re excited. When can you come back and show us a prototype?” This can be the beginning of a profitable customer relationship or a disappointing sinkhole of wasted time, money, resources, and a demoralized engineering […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:10495:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most exciting things a startup CEO in a business-to-business market can hear from a potential customer is, “We’re excited. When can you come back and show us a prototype?”<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30745" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/04/16/founders-need-to-be-ruthless-when-chasing-deals/purchase-order/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="purchase order" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30745" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?resize=112%2C112&ssl=1" alt="" width="112" height="112" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/purchase-order.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 112px) 100vw, 112px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This can be the beginning of a profitable customer relationship or a disappointing sinkhole of wasted time, money, resources, and a demoralized engineering team.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">It all depends on one question every startup CEO needs to ask.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I was having coffee and pastries with Justin, an ex-student, listening to him to complain over the time he wasted with a potential customer. He was building a complex robotic system for factories. “We spent weeks integrating the sample data they gave us to build a functional prototype, and then after our demo they just ghosted us. I still don’t know what happened!”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">After listening to how he got into that predicament, I realized it sounded exactly like the mistake I had made selling enterprise software.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Enthusiasm Versus Validation<br /> </strong>Finding product/market fit is the holy grail for startups. For me, it was a real rush when potential users in a large company loved our slideware and our minimum viable product (MVP). They were ecstatic about the time the product could save them and started pulling others into our demos. A few critical internal recommenders and technical evaluators gave our concept the thumbs up. Now we were in discussions with the potential buyers who had the corporate checkbook, and they were ready to have a “next step” conversation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This buyer wanted us to transform our slideware and MVP into a demonstration of utility with their actual data. This was going to require our small, overcommitted engineering team to turn the MVP into a serviceable prototype.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">When I heard a potential customer offer us their own internal customer data I was already imagining popping Champagne corks once we showed them our prototype. (For context, our products sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and lifetime value to each customer was potentially measured in millions.) I rallied our engineering team to work for the next few months to get the demo of the prototype ready. As much as we could, we integrated the customers’ users and technical evaluators into our prototype development process. Then came the meeting with the potential customer. And it went great. The users were in the room, the buyer asked lots of questions, everyone made some suggestions and then we all went home. And the follow up from the potential customer? Crickets…</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Even our user advocates stopped responding to emails.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>What did I do wrong?<br /> </strong>In my unbridled and very naive enthusiasm for impressing a potential customer, I made a rookie mistake –<em> I never asked the user champion or the potential buyer what were the steps for turning the demo into a purchase order</em>. I had made a ton of assumptions – all of them wrong. And most importantly I wasted the most precious things a startup has – engineering resources, time, and money.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In hindsight I had no idea whether my potential customer was asking other companies to demo their product. I had no idea whether the buyer had a budget or even purchase authority. If they did, I had no idea of their timeline for a decision. I had no idea who were the other decision-makers in the company to integrate, deploy and scale the product. I didn’t even know what the success criteria for getting an order looked like. I didn’t check for warning signs of a deal that would go nowhere: whether the person requesting the demo was in a business unit or a tech evaluation/innovation group, whether they’d pay for a functional prototype they could use, etc. And for good measure, I never even considered asking the potential customer to pay for the demo and/or my costs.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">(My only excuse was that this was my first foray into enterprise sales.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Be Ruthless about the Opportunity Costs of Chasing Deals<br /> </strong>After that demoralizing experience I realized that every low probability demo got us further from success rather than closer. While a big company could afford to chase lots of deals I just had a small set of engineering resources. I became ruthless about the opportunity costs of chasing deals whose outcome I couldn’t predict.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">So we built rigor into our sales process.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">We built a sales road map of finding <u>first</u> product/market fit with the users and recommenders. However, we realized that there was a <u>second product/market fit</u> with the organization(s) that controlled the budget and the path to deployment and scale.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For this second group of gatekeepers we came up with a cheap hack to validate that a demo wasn’t just a <a href="https://www.zendesk.com/blog/tire-kicker/">tire-kicking</a> exercise on their part. First, we asked them basic questions about the process: the success criteria, the decision timeline, did a budget exist, who had the purchase authority, what were the roles and approval processes of other organizations (IT, Compliance and Security, etc.) and what was the expected rate of scaling the product across their enterprise. (All the rookie questions I should have asked the first time around.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">That was just the starting point to decide if we wanted to invest our resources. We followed up our questions by <em>sending them a fully cancelable purchase order</em>. We listed all the features we had demoed that had gotten the users excited and threw in the features the technical evaluators had suggested. And we listed our price. In big letters the purchase order said, “FULLY CANCELABLE.” And then we sent it to the head of the group that asked us for the prototype.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">As you can imagine most of the time the response was – WTF?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Figure Out Who’s A Serious Prospect<br /> </strong>That’s when the real learning started. It was more than OK with me if they said they weren’t ready to sign. Or they told me there were other groups who needed be involved. I was now learning things I never would have if I just showed up with a prototype. By asking the customer to sign a fully cancelable purchase order we excluded “least likely to close prospects”; those who weren’t ready to make a purchase decision, or those who already had a vendor selected but needed to go through “demo theater” to make the selection seem fair. But most importantly it started a conversation with serious prospects that informed us about the entire end-to-end approval process to get an order- who were the additional people who needed to say yes across the corporation – and what were their decision processes.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Our conversions of demos into orders went through the roof.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, I was learning some of the basics of complex sales.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">—</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Justin stared at his uneaten pastry for a while and then looked up at me and said smiling, “I never knew you could do that. That’s given me a few ideas what we could do.” And just like that he was gone.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Lessons Learned</strong></p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>In complex sales there are <u>multiple</u> product/market fits – Users, Buyers, etc. — each with different criteria</li> <li>Don’t invest time and resources in building on-demand prototypes if you don’t know the path to a purchase order</li> <li>Use polite forcing functions, e.g. cancelable purchase orders, to discover who else needs to say “yes”</li> </ul> </blockquote> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1801963893&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:87:"https://steveblank.com/2024/04/16/founders-need-to-be-ruthless-when-chasing-deals/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"10";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30742";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:15;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:76:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:25:"Is a $100 Million Enough?";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:58:"https://steveblank.com/2024/03/05/is-a-100-million-enough/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:67:"https://steveblank.com/2024/03/05/is-a-100-million-enough/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:00:26 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:21:"Family/Career/Culture";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:15:"Venture Capital";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30677";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:308:"This article first appeared in Inc. Capitalism has been good to me. After serving in the military during Vietnam, I came home and had a career in eight startups. I got to retire when I was 45. Over the last quarter century, in my third career, I helped create the methods entrepreneurs use to build […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9340:"<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.inc.com/steve-blank/what-motivates-todays-founders-is-a-100-million-enough.html"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30694" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/03/05/is-a-100-million-enough/inc-logo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?fit=644%2C246&ssl=1" data-orig-size="644,246" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Inc logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?fit=300%2C115&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?fit=468%2C179&ssl=1" class="alignleft wp-image-30694 " src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?resize=79%2C30&ssl=1" alt="" width="79" height="30" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?resize=150%2C57&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?resize=300%2C115&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Inc-logo.jpeg?w=644&ssl=1 644w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 79px) 100vw, 79px" /></a>This article first <a href="https://www.inc.com/steve-blank/what-motivates-todays-founders-is-a-100-million-enough.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared in Inc</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Capitalism has been good to me. After serving in the military during Vietnam, I came home and had a career in eight startups. I got to retire when I was 45. Over the last quarter century, in my third career, I helped create the methods entrepreneurs use to build new startups, while teaching 1,000’s of students how to start new ventures. It’s been rewarding to see tech entrepreneurship become an integral part of the economy and tech companies become some of the most valued companies in the world.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">What has made this happen is the relentless cycle of innovation and <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/epp/irle/irle-blog-pages/schumpeters-theory-of-creative-destruction.html">creative destruction</a> of old industries driven by new startups with new tech and new business models (network television replaced by streaming services, Nvidia GPUs versus Intel CPUs, electric cars versus the internal combustion engine, film cameras versus smartphones, programmers versus AI), all fueled by venture capital.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">It makes me wonder – are startups still founded by people with a passion for creating something new? Or has the motivation changed to accruing the biggest pile of cash?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">When I was an entrepreneur, what got me up in the morning was building something amazing that people wanted to grab out of my hands and use. The thought that I might make a $1 million or even $10 million on the way was always in the back of my head, but that wasn’t why I did it.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I wonder if it’s different for today’s entrepreneurs.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a thought experiment: What if we told every <em><u>new</u></em> entrepreneur that regardless of how successful they were, their total compensation would be capped at $100 million.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30684" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/03/05/is-a-100-million-enough/dall%c2%b7e-2024-02-27-14-07-04-a-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-the-road-not-taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood-the-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,1024" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="DALL·E 2024-02-27 14.07.04 – A fairy tale style illustration of ‘The Road Not Taken’, with two roads diverging in a wood. The scene is enchanting and whimsical, typical of a fairy" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?fit=468%2C468&ssl=1" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-30684" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="150" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DALL%C2%B7E-2024-02-27-14.07.04-A-fairy-tale-style-illustration-of-The-Road-Not-Taken-with-two-roads-diverging-in-a-wood.-The-scene-is-enchanting-and-whimsical-typical-of-a-fairy.webp?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><img class="alignright" /><img class="alignright" /></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">How many aspiring entrepreneurs would decide it wasn’t worth starting a company? Would Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, et al have quit earlier? Have picked other careers?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">How many would decide it wasn’t worth sticking around after their company was large and successful? (Would that be a bad thing?)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Would entrepreneurship suffer? Would we get less innovation? If so, why?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Would the best and brightest move to other countries?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Then let’s run the same thought experiment with Venture Capitalists. Would they pick other careers? Invest less?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">At $100 million would capitalism crumble? Would we all be, heaven forbid, be “Socialists” or worse, to even have this conversation?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Questions<br /> </strong>I’m curious what you think.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Should there be any limit?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If so, why?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Or why not.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">What would be the consequences?</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1766003667&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:63:"https://steveblank.com/2024/03/05/is-a-100-million-enough/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"48";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30677";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:16;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:73:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:51:"Apple Vision Pro – Tech in the Search of a Market";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:82:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:91:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:00:16 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:20:"Customer Development";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30553";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:345:"A version of this article previously appeared in Fortune. If you haven’t been paying attention Apple has started shipping its Apple Vision Pro, its take on a headset that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The product is an amazing technical tour de force. But the product/market fit of this first iteration is […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26970:"<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://fortune.com/2024/02/09/a-kodak-deja-vu-apples-vision-pro-killer-app-tim-cook-tech-retail/"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone" 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" alt="" width="65" height="19" /> </a>A version of this article previously appeared <a href="https://fortune.com/2024/02/09/a-kodak-deja-vu-apples-vision-pro-killer-app-tim-cook-tech-retail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in Fortune</a>.</p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">If you haven’t been paying attention Apple has started shipping its <a href="https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Vision Pro</a>, its take on a headset that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). The product is an amazing technical tour de force.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But the product/market fit of this first iteration is a swing and a miss.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30559" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/vision-pro-wearer-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?fit=586%2C667&ssl=1" data-orig-size="586,667" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Vision Pro wearer" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?fit=264%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?fit=468%2C533&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-30559 alignleft" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?resize=147%2C167&ssl=1" alt="" width="147" height="167" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?resize=264%2C300&ssl=1 264w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?resize=132%2C150&ssl=1 132w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-Pro-wearer-1.jpg?w=586&ssl=1 586w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 147px) 100vw, 147px" /></a><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30560" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/vision-pro-goggles/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?fit=202%2C114&ssl=1" data-orig-size="202,114" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Vision pro goggles" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?fit=202%2C114&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?fit=202%2C114&ssl=1" class=" wp-image-30560 alignnone" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?resize=284%2C160&ssl=1" alt="" width="284" height="160" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?w=202&ssl=1 202w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Vision-pro-goggles.jpg?resize=150%2C85&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 284px) 100vw, 284px" /></a></p> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve watched other world class consumer product companies make the same mistakes:</p> <ol> <li>Come up with amazing hardware that creates entirely new capabilities</li> <li>Forecast demand based on volumes of their previous consumer products</li> <li>Confuse consumers by defining a new category without a frame of reference</li> <li>Discover the hardware doesn’t match their existing consumer customer base needs</li> <li>Work hard (read spend a lot of money) on trying to “push” sales to their existing customers</li> <li>Revenue is woefully short of forecast. Marketing and capital expenses (new factory, high R&D expense) were predicated on consumer-scale sales. The new product is burning a ton of cash</li> <li>Ignore/not understand adjacent niche markets that would have “pulled” the product out of their hands, if they had developed niche-specific demos and outreach</li> <li>Eventually pivot to the niche markets that are excited about the product</li> <li>The niche markets make great beachhead markets, but are too small to match the inflated forecasts and the built-in burn rates of consumer scale sales</li> <li>Either… <ul> <li>After multiple market pivots and changes in leadership, abandon the product</li> <li>Pivot and perserve</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Déjà vu All Over Again<br /> </strong>I lived the equivalent of this when <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/07/kodaks-downfall-wasnt-about-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kodak</a> (remember them?) launched a product in 1990 called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_CD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PhotoCD</a>. Kodak wanted consumers to put their <em>film</em> photos on their home CDROM drive and then display them on their televisions. You dropped off your film at a film processor and instead of just getting physical prints of your pictures they would scan the film, and burn them onto a Compact Disc. You’d go home with a Compact Disc with your pictures on it.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30557" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/photo-cd-disk/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?fit=400%2C300&ssl=1" data-orig-size="400,300" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="Photo CD disk" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?fit=400%2C300&ssl=1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-30557" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-CD-disk.jpg?w=400&ssl=1 400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>I got a preview of PhotoCD when I was the head of marketing at <a href="https://steveblank.com/category/supermac/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SuperMac</a>, a supplier of hardware and software for graphics professionals. The moment I saw the product I knew every one of my professional graphics customers (ad agencies, freelancers, photo studios, etc.) would want to use it. In fact, they would have paid a premium for it. I was floored when Kodak told me they were launching PhotoCD as a <em>consumer</em> product.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The problem was that in 1990 consumers did not have CDROM <em>drives</em> to display the pictures. At the time even most personal computers lacked them. But every graphics professional did own a CDROM drive but most didn’t own a high-resolution film scanner – and PhotoCD would have been perfect for them – and the perfect launch customer. To this day I remember being lectured by a senior Kodak executive, “Steve you don’t get it, we’re experts at selling to consumers. We’ll sell them the CDROM drives as well.” (The Kodak CDROM drives were the size of professional audio equipment and depending on the model, costing $600-$1000 in today’s dollars.)</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30558" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/photo-cd-player/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?fit=1248%2C493&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1248,493" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="photo cd player" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?fit=300%2C119&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?fit=468%2C185&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-30558" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?resize=468%2C185&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="185" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?resize=1024%2C405&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?resize=300%2C119&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?resize=150%2C59&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?resize=768%2C303&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?w=1248&ssl=1 1248w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/photo-cd-player.webp?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">(And when consumer CDROM drives became available they couldn’t play the PhotoCD disks as they were encoded in a proprietary Kodak standard to lock you into their drives!) The result was that PhotoCD failed miserably as a consumer product. Subsequent pivots to professional graphics users (a segment another part of Kodak knew well) came too late, as low cost scanners and non-proprietary standards (JPEG) prevailed.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">So what’s the lesson for Apple?</p> <ol> <li>Apple is trying to push Vision Pro into their <em>existing</em> consumer customers</li> <li>All the demos and existing applications are oriented to their consumer customers</li> <li>Apple did not create demos for how the Vision Pro could be used in <em>new markets </em>where users would jump on buying a Vision Pro. For example, <ol> <li>There is proof of demand (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayHomeRepairs/videos">here</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@MechanicSteve">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@1AAuto/videos">here</a>) of an adjacent mass market, helping millions of home owners repair things around the home</li> <li>There is proof of demand in industrial applications outside of the consumer space (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r1-IMMS73s">here</a>.) Every company that has complex machinery have been experimenting with AR for years. Imagine car repair with a Vision Pro AR tutorial. Or jet engine maintenance. Or the entire gamut of complex machinery.</li> </ol> </li> </ol> <p>All of these would have been great Vision Pro demos for training and repair. It’s hard to understand why Apple ignored these easy wins.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Getting it Right<br /> </strong>Apple’s entry into new markets by creating new product categories – iPods, iPads, iPhones – is unprecedented in the history of the modern corporation – $300 billion (75% of their revenue) is from non-computer hardware. In addition, they’ve created an entirely new $85+ billion subscription business model; the App Store, iTunes, Apple Care, Apple Pay, Apple Cash, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">It’s hard to remember, but the first version of these products launched with serious limitations that follow-on versions remedied. The first version of the iPhone only ran Apple software, it was a closed system without an app store, had no copy and paste, couldn’t record video, etc. The original Apple Watch was positioned as a fashion accessory. It wasn’t until later that Apple realized that the killer apps for the Watch were fitness and health. Fixing the technical flaws while finding the right markets for all these products took time and commitment.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The same will likely be true for the Vision Pro. Apple marketers will realize that adjacent spaces they are less familiar with will provide the first “got to have it” beachhead markets. Newer versions will ride the technology wave of lighter, and cheaper versions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has made a personal bet on the Vision Pro. More than any other company they have sufficient resources (cash on hand and engineering talent) to pivot their way to product/market fit in the real markets that need it.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s hoping they find it.</p> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1756574058&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:87:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/13/apple-vision-pro-tech-in-the-search-of-a-market/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:2:"15";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30553";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:17;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:82:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:68:"Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition – 2023 Wrap Up";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:97:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:106:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:00:02 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:4:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Corporate/Gov't Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:52:"Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:2;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:3;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:49:"Technology Innovation and Great Power Competition";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30431";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:365:"We just wrapped up the third year of our Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition class –part of Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. Joe Felter, Mike Brown and I teach the class to: Give our students an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities for the United States in its enduring strategic competition […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:42321:"<p style="font-weight: 400;">We just wrapped up the third year of our <a href="https://tigpc23.sites.stanford.edu/">Technology, Innovation, and Great Power Competition</a> class –part of Stanford’s <a href="https://gordianknot.stanford.edu/">Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/article/1306061/dr-joseph-h-felter/">Joe Felter</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelabrownceo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Brown</a> and I teach the class to:</p> <ul> <li>Give our students an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities for the United States in its enduring strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China, Russia and other rivals.</li> <li>Offer insights on how commercial technology (AI, autonomy, cyber, quantum, semiconductors, access to space, biotech, hypersonics, and others) are radically changing how we will compete across all the elements of national power e.g. diplomatic, informational, military, economic, financial, intelligence and law enforcement (our influence and footprint on the world stage).</li> <li>Expose students to experiential learning on policy questions. Students formed teams, got out of the classroom and talked to the stakeholders and developed policy recommendations.</li> </ul> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Why This Class?</strong><br /> The recognition that the United States is engaged in long-term strategic competition with the Peoples Republic of China and Russia became a centerpiece of the <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905.pdf">2017 National Security Strategy</a> and<a href="https://dod.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf"> 2018 National Defense Strategy</a>. The 2021<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NSC-1v2.pdf"> interim National Security Guidance</a> and the administration’s recently released <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Biden-Harris-Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf">2022 National Security Strategy</a> make clear that China has rapidly become more assertive and is the only competitor potentially capable of combining its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to mount a sustained challenge to a stable and open international system<strong>. </strong>And as we’ve seen in Ukraine, Russia remains determined to wage a brutal war to play a disruptive role on the world stage.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Prevailing in this competition will require more than merely acquiring the fruits of this technological revolution; it will require a paradigm shift in the thinking of how this technology can be rapidly integrated into new capabilities and platforms to drive new operational and organizational concepts and strategies that change and optimize the way we compete.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Class Organization<br /> </strong>The readings, lectures, and guest speakers explored how emerging <em>commercial </em>technologies pose challenges and create opportunities for the United States in its strategic competition with great power rivals with an emphasis on the People’s Republic of China. We focused on the challenges created when U.S. government agencies, our federal research labs, and government contractors no longer have exclusive access to these advanced technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This course included all that you would expect from a Stanford graduate-level class in the <a href="https://fsi.stanford.edu/masters-degree">Masters in International Policy</a> – comprehensive readings, guest lectures from current and former senior officials/experts, and written papers. What makes the class unique however, is that <em>this is an <u>experiential </u>policy class</em>. Students formed small teams and embarked on a quarter-long project that got them out of the classroom to:</p> <ul> <li>identify a priority national security challenge, and then …</li> <li>validate the problem and propose a detailed solution tested against actual stakeholders in the technology and national security ecosystem.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The class was split into three parts.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Part 1, weeks 1 through 4 covered the international relations theories that attempt to explain the dynamics of interstate competition between powerful states, U.S. national security and national defense strategies and policies guiding our approach to Great Power Competition specifically focused on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In between parts 1 and 2 of the class, the students had a midterm individual project. It required them to write a 2,000-word policy memo describing how a U.S. competitor is using a specific technology to counter U.S. interests and a proposal for how the U.S. should respond.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Part 2, weeks 5 through 8, dove into the commercial technologies: semiconductors, space, cyber, AI and Machine Learning, High Performance Computing, and Biotech. Each week the students had to read 5-10 articles (see class readings <u><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mbNAg1YfbpgX7pM2cJOwMbf_gBB3UcyV/view?usp=sharing">here.)</a></u> And each week we had guest speakers on great power competition, and technology and its impact on national power and lectures/class discussion.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Guest Speakers<br /> </em>In addition to the teaching team, the course drew on the experience and expertise of guest lecturers from industry and from across U.S. Government agencies to provide context and perspective on <em>commercial </em>technologies and national security.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30491" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/mattis-2023-tigpc/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?fit=210%2C158&ssl=1" data-orig-size="210,158" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Mattis 2023 TIGPC" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?fit=210%2C158&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?fit=210%2C158&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30491" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?resize=177%2C133&ssl=1" alt="" width="177" height="133" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?w=210&ssl=1 210w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Mattis-2023-TIGPC.jpg?resize=150%2C113&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 177px) 100vw, 177px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The students were privileged to hear from extraordinary guest speakers with significant experience and credibility on a range of topics related to the course objectives. Highlights of this year’s speakers include:</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">On National Security and American exceptionalism: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Mattis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">General Jim Mattis</a>, US Marine Corps (<em>Ret</em>.), former Secretary of Defense.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30487" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/2023-tigpc-guest-photos-3/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?fit=357%2C149&ssl=1" data-orig-size="357,149" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="2023 TIGPC guest photos 3" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?fit=300%2C125&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?fit=357%2C149&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30487" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?resize=304%2C127&ssl=1" alt="" width="304" height="127" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?w=357&ssl=1 357w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?resize=300%2C125&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-3.jpg?resize=150%2C63&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 304px) 100vw, 304px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">On China’s activities and efforts to compete with the U.S.: Matt Pottinger – former Deputy National Security Advisor, Elizabeth Economy – leading China scholar and former Dept of Commerce Senior Advisor for China, Tai Ming Cheung, – Author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innovate-Dominate-Chinese-Techno-Security-State-ebook/dp/B09HW59LDC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Innovate to Dominate</a>: The Rise of the Chinese Techno-Security State.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30483" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/2023-tigpc-guest-photos-1/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?fit=468%2C146&ssl=1" data-orig-size="468,146" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="2023 TIGPC guest photos 1" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?fit=300%2C94&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?fit=468%2C146&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-30483" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?resize=468%2C146&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="146" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?w=468&ssl=1 468w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?resize=300%2C94&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-1.jpg?resize=150%2C47&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a>On U.S. – China Policy: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Gallagher_(American_politician)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congressman Mike Gallagher</a>, Chair House Select Committe on China.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">On Innovation and National Security: Chris Brose – Author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kill-Chain-Defending-America-High-Tech/dp/031653367X/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Kill Chain</a>, Doug Beck – Director of the <a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a>, Anja Manuel – Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.aspensecurityforum.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aspen Strategy and Security Forum</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For Biotech: Ben Kirukup – senior biologist US Navy, Ed You – FBI Special Agent Biological Countermeasures Unit, Deborah Rosenblum – Asst Sec of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, Joe DeSimone – Professor Chemical Engineering.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30488" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/2023-tigpc-guest-photos-4/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?fit=468%2C150&ssl=1" data-orig-size="468,150" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="2023 TIGPC guest photos 4" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?fit=300%2C96&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?fit=468%2C150&ssl=1" class="aligncenter wp-image-30488" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?resize=418%2C134&ssl=1" alt="" width="418" height="134" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?w=468&ssl=1 468w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?resize=300%2C96&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-4.jpg?resize=150%2C48&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 418px) 100vw, 418px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For AI: Jared Dunnmon – Technical Director for AI at the Defense Innovation Unit, Lt. Gen. (Ret) Jack Shanahan – Director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Anshu Roy- CEO Rhombus AI</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30485" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/2023-tigpc-guest-photos-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?fit=458%2C109&ssl=1" data-orig-size="458,109" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="2023 TIGPC guest photos 2" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?fit=300%2C71&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?fit=458%2C109&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-30485" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?resize=458%2C109&ssl=1" alt="" width="458" height="109" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?w=458&ssl=1 458w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?resize=300%2C71&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-TIGPC-guest-photos-2.jpg?resize=150%2C36&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px" /></a>For Cyber: Anne Neuberger – deputy national security advisor for cyber</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For Semiconductors: Larry Diamond – Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Significantly, the students were able to hear the Chinese perspective on U.S. – China competition from <a href="https://en.igcu.pku.edu.cn/info/1021/1028.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jia Qingguo</a> – Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of China.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The class closed with a stirring talk and call to action by former National Security Advisor LTG ret <a href="https://www.hoover.org/profiles/h-r-mcmaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H.R. McMaster</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the weeks in-between we had teaching team lectures followed by speakers that led discussions on the critical commercial technologies.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Team-based Experiential Project</em><br /> The third part of the class was unique – a quarter-long, team-based project. Students formed teams of 4-6 and selected a national security challenge facing an organization or agency within the U.S. Government. They developed hypotheses of how commercial technologies can be used in new and creative ways to help the U.S. wield its instruments of national power. And consistent with all our <a href="https://gordianknot.stanford.edu/">Gordian Knot Center</a> classes, <em>they got out of the classroom. </em>and interviewed 20+ beneficiaries, policy makers, and other key stakeholders testing their hypotheses and proposed solutions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Hacking For Policy – Final Presentations</em>:<br /> At the end of the quarter, each student teams’ policy recommendations were summarized in a 10-minute presentation. The presentation was the story of the team’s learning journey, describing where they started, where they ended, and the key inflection points in their understanding of the problem. (A written 3000 word report followed focusing on their recommendations for addressing their chosen security challenge and describing how their solutions can be implemented with speed and urgency.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By the end of the class all the teams realized that the policy problem they had selected had morphed into something bigger, deeper, and much more interesting.</p> <p>Their policy presentations are below.</p> <p>The class is as exhausting to teach as it to take. We have an awesome set of teaching assistants.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 1: Precision Match (AI for DoD Operations)</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uN2vrjNOJZJgBelNAlcygSP2OOCwrMK5/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30500" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/precision-match-redacted-cover/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=1421%2C789&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1421,789" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Precision Match redacted cover" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=300%2C167&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=468%2C260&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30500 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=300%2C167&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="167" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=300%2C167&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=1024%2C569&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=150%2C83&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=768%2C426&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?w=1421&ssl=1 1421w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Precision-Match-redacted-cover.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uN2vrjNOJZJgBelNAlcygSP2OOCwrMK5/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <p>What makes teaching worthwhile is the feedback we get from our students<span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></p> <blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">TIGPC has been the best class I’ve taken at Stanford and has caused me to do some reflection in what I want to do after my time at Stanford. I’m only a sophomore but doing such a deep dive into energy and (as Steve says) getting out of the building, I’m starting to seriously consider a career in clean energy security post graduation.</p> </blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 2: Outbound Investment to China</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_DRgR2942-OhMTtehxGzF3PN9ZMl-GoV/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30450" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/3-regulating-outbound-investment-to-china-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?fit=720%2C405&ssl=1" data-orig-size="720,405" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="3 – Regulating Outbound Investment to China" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30450 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3-Regulating-Outbound-Investment-to-China-1.jpg?w=720&ssl=1 720w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_DRgR2942-OhMTtehxGzF3PN9ZMl-GoV/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 3: Open-Source AI</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/19iZvQArKQSf4uWv6VFc_xInpLUreClihqCIATxwNKqk/edit#heading=h.ho4uwsy7v9j9"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30437" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/1-weaponizing-open-source-ai/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?fit=2666%2C1500&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2666,1500" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="1 – Weaponizing Open Source AI" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30437" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=1536%2C864&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1152&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1-Weaponizing-Open-Source-AI.jpeg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/19iZvQArKQSf4uWv6VFc_xInpLUreClihqCIATxwNKqk/edit#heading=h.ho4uwsy7v9j9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see a summary of the presentation.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 4: AlphaChem</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rQ0Xir-fZEyweeXFeydj1SL0VVYscTTG/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30449" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/8-empowering-ukraine/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?fit=1370%2C753&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1370,753" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="8 – Empowering Ukraine" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?fit=300%2C165&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?fit=468%2C257&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30449" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?resize=300%2C165&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="165" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?resize=300%2C165&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?resize=1024%2C563&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?resize=150%2C82&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?resize=768%2C422&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?w=1370&ssl=1 1370w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/8-Empowering-Ukraine.jpeg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rQ0Xir-fZEyweeXFeydj1SL0VVYscTTG/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">One of my takeaways from the class is that you can be the smartest person in the room, but you will never have as much knowledge as everyone else combined so go talk to people, it will make you far smarter</p> </blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 5: South China Sea</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12hUfLhl9u8eLO1LjMJTF9JlFNjufWUqM/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30448" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/7-public-private-partnerships/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?fit=703%2C357&ssl=1" data-orig-size="703,357" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="7 – Public Private Partnerships" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?fit=300%2C152&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?fit=468%2C238&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30448 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?resize=300%2C152&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="152" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?resize=300%2C152&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?resize=150%2C76&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/7-Public-Private-Partnerships.jpg?w=703&ssl=1 703w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/12hUfLhl9u8eLO1LjMJTF9JlFNjufWUqM/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <blockquote><p>Awesome class! … incredible in bringing prestigious guest speakers into the class and having engaging discussions. My background was not in national security and this class really offered an important perspective on the opportunities for technology innovation to impact and help with national security.</p></blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 6: Chinese Real Estate Investment in the U.S.</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iF5xFL9R14ZUCll5g9cc7TzjL3CiDmG5/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30502" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/team-6-redacted-cover/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=714%2C403&ssl=1" data-orig-size="714,403" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Team 6 redacted cover" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?fit=468%2C264&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30502 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?resize=150%2C85&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Team-6-redacted-cover.jpg?w=714&ssl=1 714w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iF5xFL9R14ZUCll5g9cc7TzjL3CiDmG5/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 7: Public Private Partnerships</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g2aZXBvHsV7oSOzuhKz1Zoz2-iz3XvL2/view?usp=share_link"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30504" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/cover-public-private-partnerships-redacted/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?fit=715%2C402&ssl=1" data-orig-size="715,402" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="cover Public Private Partnerships redacted" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30504 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Public-Private-Partnerships-redacted.jpg?w=715&ssl=1 715w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g2aZXBvHsV7oSOzuhKz1Zoz2-iz3XvL2/view?usp=share_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <blockquote><p>Just wanted to let you know that, as a Senior, this is one of the best classes I’ve taken across my 4 years at Stanford.</p></blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Team 8: Ukraine Aid</strong></h3> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/140NN9h0W9NmuRG4s-ZRnsKsDRDZbfhky/view?usp=sharing"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30506" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/cover-empowering-ukraine/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?fit=1440%2C810&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1440,810" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="cover – Empowering Ukraine" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?fit=468%2C263&ssl=1" class="alignnone wp-image-30506 size-medium" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?resize=150%2C84&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?resize=768%2C432&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?w=1440&ssl=1 1440w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cover-Empowering-Ukraine.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></h3> <p>Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/140NN9h0W9NmuRG4s-ZRnsKsDRDZbfhky/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> to see the presentation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Lessons Learned</strong></p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>We combined lecture and experiential learning so our students can act on problems not just admire them <ul> <li>The external input the students received was a force multiplier</li> <li>It made the lecture material real, tangible and actionable</li> <li>Lean problem solving methods can be effectively employed to address pressing national security and policy challenges</li> <li>This course was akin to a “Hacking for Policy class” and can be tweaked and replicated going forward.</li> </ul> </li> <li>The class created opportunities for our best and brightest to engage and address challenges at the nexus of technology, innovation and national security <ul> <li>When students are provided such opportunities they aggressively seize them with impressive results</li> <li>The final presentations and papers from the class are proof that will happen</li> </ul> </li> <li>Pushing students past what they think is reasonable results in extraordinary output. Most rise way above the occasion</li> </ul> </blockquote> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1742202996&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:102:"https://steveblank.com/2024/02/06/technology-innovation-and-great-power-competition-2023-wrap-up/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"2";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30431";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}i:18;a:6:{s:4:"data";s:76:" ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";s:5:"child";a:6:{s:0:"";a:7:{s:5:"title";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:89:"The Department of Defense Is Getting Its Innovation Act Together – But More Can Be Done";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:99:"https://steveblank.com/2024/01/15/the-department-of-defense-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:108:"https://steveblank.com/2024/01/15/the-department-of-defense-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together/#comments";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:7:"pubDate";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"Mon, 15 Jan 2024 14:00:54 +0000";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:8:"category";a:2:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:26:"Corporate/Gov't Innovation";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}i:1;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17:"National Security";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:4:"guid";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:31:"https://steveblank.com/?p=30379";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:1:{s:11:"isPermaLink";s:5:"false";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:11:"description";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:371:"This post previously appeared in Defense News and C4SIR. Despite the clear and present danger of threats from China and elsewhere, there’s no agreement on what types of adversaries we’ll face; how we’ll fight, organize, and train; and what weapons or systems we’ll need for future fights. Instead, developing a new doctrine to deal with these […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:17492:"<p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30410" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/01/15/the-department-of-defense-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together/defense-news-logo-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?fit=1823%2C284&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1823,284" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="defense news logo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?fit=300%2C47&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?fit=468%2C73&ssl=1" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-30410" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C23&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="23" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=150%2C23&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=300%2C47&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=1024%2C160&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=768%2C120&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?resize=1536%2C239&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?w=1823&ssl=1 1823w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/defense-news-logo.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a><a href="https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2024/01/05/the-dod-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together-but-more-can-be-done/"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30462" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/01/15/the-department-of-defense-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together/c4isrnet-logo-white-png-copy/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?fit=952%2C151&ssl=1" data-orig-size="952,151" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="c4isrnet-logo-white.png copy" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?fit=300%2C48&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?fit=468%2C74&ssl=1" class="alignleft wp-image-30462 size-thumbnail" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?resize=150%2C24&ssl=1" alt="" width="150" height="24" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?resize=150%2C24&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?resize=300%2C48&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?resize=768%2C122&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/c4isrnet-logo-white.png-copy.jpg?w=952&ssl=1 952w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></a>This post previously appeared <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2024/01/05/the-dod-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together-but-more-can-be-done/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in Defense News </a> and <a href="https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2024/01/05/the-dod-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together-but-more-can-be-done/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C4SIR</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the clear and present danger of threats from China and elsewhere, there’s no agreement on what types of adversaries we’ll face; how we’ll fight, organize, and train; and what weapons or systems we’ll need for future fights. Instead, developing a new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_doctrine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doctrine</a> to deal with these new issues is fraught with disagreements, differing objectives, and incumbents who defend the status quo. Yet change in military doctrine is coming. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is navigating the tightrope of competing interests to make it happen – hopefully in time.</p> <div id="attachment_30427" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-30427" data-attachment-id="30427" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2024/01/15/the-department-of-defense-is-getting-its-innovation-act-together/diu-beck/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1024,682" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="DIU Beck" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="<p>From left, Skydio CEO Adam Bry demonstrates the company’s autonomous systems technology for Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Doug Beck, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, during a visit to the company’s facility in San Mateo, Calif. (Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza/U.S. Navy)</p> " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?fit=468%2C312&ssl=1" class="size-full wp-image-30427" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?resize=468%2C312&ssl=1" alt="" width="468" height="312" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?w=1024&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?resize=150%2C100&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DIU-Beck.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 468px) 100vw, 468px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-30427" class="wp-caption-text">From left, Skydio CEO Adam Bry demonstrates the company’s autonomous systems technology for Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Doug Beck, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, during a visit to the company’s facility in San Mateo, Calif. (Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza/U.S. Navy)</p></div> <hr /> <p style="font-weight: 400;">There are several theories of how innovation in military doctrine and new operational concepts occur. Some argue new doctrine emerges when <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Victory-Potomac-Goldwater-Nichols-Williams-Ford-University/dp/1585443980" target="_blank" rel="noopener">civilians intervene</a> to assist military “mavericks,” e.g., the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwater%E2%80%93Nichols_Act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldwater-Nichols Act</a>. Or a military service can <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2538898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generate innovation internally</a> when senior military officers recognize the doctrinal and operational implications of new capabilities, e.g., Rickover and the Nuclear Navy.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But today, innovation in doctrine and concepts is driven by four major <em>external </em>upheavals that simultaneously threaten our military and economic advantage:</p> <ol> <li>China delivering multiple asymmetric offset strategies.</li> <li>China fielding naval, space and air assets in unprecedented numbers.</li> <li>The proven value of a massive number of attritable uncrewed systems on the Ukrainian battlefield.</li> <li>Rapid technological change in artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, space, biotechnology, semiconductors, hypersonics, etc, with many driven by commercial companies in the U.S. and China.</li> </ol> <p><strong>The Need for Change<br /> </strong>The U.S. Department of Defense traditional sources of innovation (<a href="https://people.defensenews.com/top-100/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">primes</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federally_funded_research_and_development_centers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FFRDCs</a>, <a href="https://nps.edu/web/slamr/-/dod-labs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service labs</a>) are no longer sufficient by themselves to keep pace.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The speed, depth and breadth of these disruptive changes happen faster than the responsiveness and agility of our current acquisition systems and defense-industrial base. However, in the decade since these external threats emerged, the DoD’s <a href="https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/pubs/status.pdf?ver=FxBiEj22AmEOkmorJzsDHg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doctrine</a>, organization, culture, process, and tolerance for risk mostly operated as though nothing substantial needed to change.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The result is that the DoD has world-class people and organizations for a world that no longer exists.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">It isn’t that the DoD doesn’t know how to innovate on the battlefield. In Iraq and Afghanistan innovative crisis-driven organizations appeared, such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Improvised-Threat_Defeat_Organization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency</a> and the Army’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_Equipping_Force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rapid Equipping Force</a>. And armed services have bypassed their own bureaucracy by creating rapid capabilities offices. Even today, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_Security_Assistance_Initiative" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Security Assistance Group-Ukraine</a> rapidly delivers weapons.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, these efforts are siloed and ephemeral, disappearing when the immediate crisis is over. They rarely make permanent change at the DoD.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Bu in the past year several signs of meaningful change show that the DoD is serious about changing how it operates and radically overhauling its doctrine, concepts, and weapons.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">First, the <a href="https://www.diu.mil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defense Innovation Unit</a> was elevated to report to the of defense secretary. Previously hobbled with a $35 million budget and buried inside the research and engineering organization, its budget and reporting structure were signs of how little the DoD viewed the importance of commercial innovation.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Now, with DIU rescued from obscurity, its new director <a href="https://www.diu.mil/team/doug-beck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug Beck</a> chairs the Deputy’s Innovation Steering Group, which oversees defense efforts to rapidly field high-tech capabilities to address urgent operational problems. DIU also put staff in the Navy and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to discover actual urgent needs.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Furthermore, the House Appropriations Committee signaled the importance of DIU with a proposed a fiscal 2024 budget of $1 billion to fund these efforts. And the Navy has signaled, through the creation of the <a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2023/09/navy-stands-up-disruptive-capabilities-office/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disruptive Capabilities Office</a>, that it intends to fully participate with DIU.</p> <p>In addition, Deputy Defense Secretary Hicks unveiled <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2023/12/19/replicator-an-inside-look-at-the-pentagons-ambitious-drone-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Replicator initiative</a>, meant to deploy thousands of attritable autonomous systems (i.e. drones – in the air, water and undersea) <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2023/08/28/pentagon-unveils-replicator-drone-program-to-compete-with-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">within the next 18 to 24 months</a>. The initiative is the first test of the Deputy’s Innovation Steering Group’s ability to deliver autonomous systems to warfighters at speed and scale while breaking down organizational barriers. DIU will work with new companies to address <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-access/area_denial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-access/area denial problems</a>.</p> <p>Replicator is a harbinger of fundamental DoD doctrinal changes as well as a solid signal to the defense-industrial base that the DoD is serious about procuring components faster, cheaper and with a shorter shelf life.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, at the recent <a href="https://www.reaganfoundation.org/media/361808/2023_rndf_agenda_final.pdf">Reagan National Defense Forum, </a>the world felt like it turned upside down. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talked about DIU in his keynote address and came to Reagan immediately following a visit to its headquarters in Silicon Valley, where he met with innovative companies. On many panels, high-ranking officers and senior defense officials used the words “disruption,” “innovation,” “speed” and “urgency” so many times, signaling they really meant it and wanted it.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the audience were a plethora of venture and private capital fund leaders looking for ways to build companies that would deliver innovative capabilities with speed.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Conspicuously, unlike in previous years, sponsor banners at the conference were not the incumbent prime contractors but rather insurgents – new potential primes like Palantir and Anduril. The DoD has woken up. It has realized new and escalating threats require rapid change, or we may not prevail in the next conflict.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Change is hard, especially in military doctrine. (<a href="https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Portals/142/Docs/CMC38%20Force%20Design%202030%20Report%20Phase%20I%20and%20II.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ask the Marines</a>.) Incumbent suppliers don’t go quietly into the night, and new suppliers almost always underestimate the difficulty and complexity of a task. Existing organizations defend their budget, headcount, and authority. Organization saboteurs resist change. But adversaries don’t wait for our decades-out plans.</p> <p><strong>But More Can Be Done</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Congress and the military services can support change by fully funding the Replicator initiative and the Defense Innovation Unit.</li> <li>The services have no procurement budget for Replicator, and they’ll have to shift existing funds to unmanned and AI programs.</li> <li>The DoD should turn its new innovation process into actual, substantive orders for new companies.</li> <li>And other combatant commands should follow what INDOPACOM is doing.</li> <li>In addition, defense primes should more often aggressively partner with startups.</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Change is in the air. 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See the Secret History bibliography for sources and supplemental reading. Silicon Valley emerged from work in World War II led by Stanford professor Fred Terman developing microwave and electronics for Electronic […]";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:32:"http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/";a:1:{s:7:"creator";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:11:"steve blank";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:40:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/";a:1:{s:7:"encoded";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:60739:"<p>This post is the latest in the “<a href="http://steveblank.com/category/secret-history-of-silicon-valley/">Secret History Series</a>.” They’ll make much more sense if you watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTC_RxWN_xo">video</a> or read some of the <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><u>earlier posts</u></a> for context. See the <a href="http://steveblank.com/secret-history/">Secret History bibliography</a> for sources and supplemental reading.</p> <hr /> <div id="attachment_2394" style="width: 196px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hp-letter.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2394" data-attachment-id="2394" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2009/06/22/2392/hp-letter/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hp-letter.jpg?fit=2012%2C2210&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2012,2210" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 40D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1245094324","copyright":"","focal_length":"56","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":""}" data-image-title="HP Letter" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hp-letter.jpg?fit=273%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hp-letter.jpg?fit=468%2C514&ssl=1" class="wp-image-2394" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/hp-letter.jpg?resize=186%2C204&ssl=1" alt="" width="186" height="204" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-2394" class="wp-caption-text">No Knowledge of Computers</p></div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Silicon Valley emerged from work in World War II led by Stanford professor Fred Terman developing microwave and electronics for Electronic Warfare systems. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, spurred on by Terman, Silicon Valley was selling microwave components and systems to the Defense Department, and the first fledging chip companies (Shockley, Fairchild, National, Rheem, Signetics…) were in their infancy. <em>But there were no computer companies</em>. Silicon Valley wouldn’t have a computer company until 1966 when Hewlett Packard shipped the <a href="https://computerhistory.org/blog/50th-anniversary-of-the-hp-2116-minicomputer/">HP 2116 minicomputer</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Meanwhile the biggest and fastest <em>scientific</em> computer companies were in Minnesota. And by 1966 they had been delivering computers for 16 years.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Minneapolis/St. Paul area companies ERA, Control Data and Cray would dominate the world of scientific computing and be an innovation cluster for computing until the mid-1980s. And then they were gone.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Why?</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Just as Silicon Valley’s roots can be traced to innovation in World War II so can Minneapolis/St. Paul’s. The story starts with a company you probably never heard of – Engineering Research Associates.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>It Started With Code Breaking<br /> </strong>For thousands of years, every nation has tried to keep its diplomatic and military communications secret. They do that by <a href="https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-encryption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encrypting</a> (protecting the information by using a cipher/code) to scramble the messages. Other nations try to read those messages by attempting to break those codes.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">During the 1930s the U.S. Army and Navy each had their own small code breaking groups. The Navy’s was called CSAW (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OP-20-G" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Communications Supplemental Activity Washington</a>) also known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OP-20-G">OPS-20-G</a>. The Army codebreaking group was the <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/History/Cryptologic-History/Historical-Events/Article-View/Article/2740643/signal-intelligence-service/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Signal Intelligence Service</a> (SIS) at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Hall">Arlington Hall</a><u>.</u></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Army focused on decrypting (breaking/decoding) Japan’s diplomatic and Army codes while the Navy worked on breaking Japan’s Naval codes. This was not a harmonious arrangement. The competition between the Army and Navy code breaking groups was so contentious <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jun/29/2002751422/-1/-1/0/ORIGINS_OF_NSA.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that in 1940 they agreed</a> that the Army would decode and translate Japanese diplomatic code on the even days of the month and the Navy would decode and translate the messages on the odd days of the month. This arrangement lasted until Dec. 7, 1941.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">At the start of WWII the Army and Navy code breaking groups each had few hundred people mainly focused on breaking Japanese codes. By the end of WWII, with the U.S. now fighting Germany, and the Soviet Union looming as a potential adversary U.S. code breaking would grow to 20,000 people working on breaking the codes of Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The two groups would merge in 1949 as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency#:~:text=History-,Formation,known%20as%20the%20Cipher%20Bureau." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Armed Forces Security Agency and then become the National Security Agency</a> (NSA) in 1952.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>The Rise of the Machines in Cryptography<br /> </strong>Prior to 1932 practically all code breaking by the Army and Navy was done by hand. That year they began using commercial <em>mechanical </em>accounting equipment – the IBM <a href="https://pattonhq.com/ibm.html">keypunch</a>, <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/sorters.html">card sorters</a>, reproducers and <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/tabulator.html">tabulators</a>. The Army and Navy each had their own approach to automating cryptography. The Navy had a Rapid Analytical Machines project with hopes to build machines to integrate optics, microfilm and electronics into cryptanalytic tools. (<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zpjpvxpJzMMp2BTsxx2PObH7IJopoq-u/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vannevar Bush at MIT was trying to build one for the Navy</a>.) As WWII loomed, the advanced Rapid Machines projects were put on hold, and the Army and Navy used hundreds of specially modified <em>commercial </em>IBM electromechanical systems to decrypt codes.</p> <div> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Read the sidebars for more detailed information</em></p> <blockquote> <div> <div> <h3><b>Electromechanical Cryptologic Systems in WWII</b></h3> </div> </div> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By the spring 1941, the Army built the first special-purpose cryptologic attachment to the IBM punched card equipment – the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jul/02/2002755855/-1/-1/0/FAMOUS-FIRST-FACTS.PDF">GeeWhizzer</a> using relays and rotary switches to help break the <a href="http://chris-intel-corner.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-japanese-j-19-fuji-code_1.html">Japanese diplomatic code</a>s. That same year, the Navy received the first in a series of <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2021/Jul/02/2002755855/-1/-1/0/FAMOUS-FIRST-FACTS.PDF">13 electro-mechanical IBM Navy Change Machines</a> to automate decrypting cipher systems used by the Japanese Navy. The Navy attachments were extensive modifications of IBM’s standard <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/sorters.html">card sorters</a>, reproducers and <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/tabulator.html">tabulators</a>. Some could be manually reconfigured via <a href="https://www.glennsmuseum.com/items/ibm_card/">plugboards</a> to do different tasks.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">During the war the Army and Navy built ~75 of these electro-mechanical and optical systems. Some were standalone units the size of a room.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">However, the bulk of the cryptoanalysis was done with IBM punch cards, sorters and tabulators, along with special <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119061601.app3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microfilm comparators from Eastman Kodak</a>. By the end of the War the Army and Navy had <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/reports-research/FOLDER_154/41745979078521.pdf">750 IBM machines</a> using several million punch cards every day.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">IBM’s other mechanical contribution to cryptanalysts was the <a href="https://www.cryptomuseum.com/cam/cxco/index.htm">Letterwriter</a>, (codenamed CXCO) a desktop machine that tied together electric typewriters to teletype, automatic tape and card punches, microfilm and eventually to film-processing machines.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30197" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/ibm-letterwritter/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?fit=719%2C361&ssl=1" data-orig-size="719,361" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IBM Letterwritter" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?fit=300%2C151&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?fit=468%2C235&ssl=1" class="wp-image-30197 alignright" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?resize=229%2C115&ssl=1" alt="" width="229" height="115" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?w=719&ssl=1 719w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?resize=300%2C151&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IBM-Letterwritter.jpg?resize=150%2C75&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px" /></a> By adding plug-boards they could automate some analysis steps. Hundreds of these were bought.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Navy’s most advanced cryptographic machine work in WWII was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Naval_Computing_Machine_Laboratory">building 125 U.S. versions</a> of the British code breaking machine called the <a href="https://www.cryptomuseum.com/crypto/bombe/">BOMBE</a>. These electromechanical <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombe">BOMBES</a> were used to crack the ENIGMA, the cipher machine used by the Germans.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30198" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/ncr-bombe/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?fit=681%2C536&ssl=1" data-orig-size="681,536" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="NCR Bombe" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?fit=300%2C236&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?fit=468%2C368&ssl=1" class="wp-image-30198 alignright" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?resize=242%2C191&ssl=1" alt="" width="242" height="191" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?w=681&ssl=1 681w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?resize=300%2C236&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NCR-Bombe.jpg?resize=150%2C118&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 242px) 100vw, 242px" /></a>Designed by the Navy’s OPS-20-G team and <a href="http://www.jproc.ca/crypto/bombe_us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">built at National Cash Register</a> (NCR) in Dayton, <a href="https://daytoncodebreakers.org/depth/wenger/">this same Computing Machine Lab would build ~25 other types of electromechanical and optical machines</a>, some the size of a room with <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/150065">3,500 tubes</a>, to assist in breaking Japanese and German codes. By the end of the war the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Naval_Computing_Machine_Laboratory">Naval Computing Machine Lab</a> was arguably building the most sophisticated electronic machines in the U.S. However, none of these machines were computers. They had no memory, and both were “‘hard-wired” to perform just one task.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">(Meanwhile in England the British code breaking group in <a href="https://bletchleypark.org.uk/our-story/75-years-since-colossus-arrived-at-bletchley/">Bletchley Park</a> built <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_computer">Colossus</a>, arguably the first digital computer. At the end of the War the British offered the Navy OPS-20-G code breaking group a Colossus but the Navy turned it down.)</p> </blockquote> </div> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Dual-Use Technology<br /> </strong>As the war was winding down, the leadership of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Naval_Computing_Machine_Laboratory">Navy Computing Machine Lab</a> in OPS-20-G was thinking about how they could permanently link commercial, academic and military computing science and innovation to the Navy. After discovering that no commercial company was willing to continue their wartime work of building the specialized hardware for codebreaking, the Navy realized they needed a new company. The decided that the best way to do that was to encourage a private for-profit company to spin out and build advanced crypto-computing systems.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The Secretary of the Navy gave his OK and three officers in the Navy’s code breaking group (Commander Howard Engstrom, who had been a math professor at Yale; Lieutenant Commander William “Bill” Norris, an electrical engineer; and their contracting officer Captain Ralph Meader,) agreed to start a civilian company to continue building specialized systems to help break codes. While unique for the time, this public-private partnership was in-line with the wartime experiment of Vannevar Bush’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Scientific_Research_and_Development">OSRD</a> – using civilians in universities to develop military weapons.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Why Minneapolis/St. Paul?<br /> </strong>While it seemed like a good idea and had the Navy’s backing, the founders got turned down for funding by companies, investment bankers and everyone, until they talked to John Parker.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Serendipity came to Minneapolis-St. Paul when the Navy team met <a href="https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/107593/oh099jep.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Parker</a>. Parker was a ex Naval Academy graduate and a Minneapolis businessman who owned a glider manufacturing company and was well connected in Washington. Parker agreed to invest. In January 1946, they founded Engineering Research Associates (ERA). Parker became President, and got 50% of the company’s equity for a $20,000 investment (equal to $315K today) and guaranteed a $200,000 line of credit (equal to $3M today). The professional staff owned the other 50%. The new company moved into Parker’s glider hanger. Norris became the VP of Engineering, Engstrom the VP of Research, and Meader VP of Manufacturing.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The company hit the ground running. 41 of the best and brightest ex-Navy technical team members of the Naval Computing Machine Lab in Dayton moved and became the initial technical staff of ERA. When the Navy added their own staff from the Dayton Laboratory the ERA facility was designated a Naval Reserve Base and armed guards were posted at the entrance. The company took on any engineering work that came their way but were kept in business developing new code-breaking machines for the Navy. Most of the machines were custom-built to crack a specific code, and increasingly used a new ERA invention – the magnetic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_memory">drum memory</a> to process and analyze the coded texts.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">ERA’s headcount grew rapidly. Within a year the company had 145 people. A year later, 420. And by 1949, 652 employees and by 1955, <a href="https://www.vipclubmn.org/Articles/1971Paper.pdf">1400</a>. Sales in their first fiscal year were $1.5 million ($22 million in today’s dollars).</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">During World War II the demands of war industries caused millions more Americans to move to where most defense plants located. Post-war era Americans were equally mobile, willing to move where the opportunities were. And if you were an engineer who wanted to work on the cutting edge of electronics, and electromechanical systems, ERA in Minneapolis-St. Paul was the place to be. (Applicants were told that ERA was doing electronics work for government and industry. Those who wanted more detail were given a number of cover stories. Many were told that ERA was working on airline seat reservation systems.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How Did ERA Grow So Quickly?<br /> </strong>The Navy thought of ERA as its “captive corporation.” From the first day <a href="https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/107551/oh116wcn.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y">ERA started with contracts from the Navy</a> OPS-20-G codebreaking group. ERA built the most advanced electronic systems of the time. Unfortunately for the company they couldn’t tell anyone as their customer was the most secret government agency in the country – the National Security Agency.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">ERAs systems were designed to solve problems defined by their Navy code-breaking customer. They fell into two categories: some projects were designed to automate existing workflows of decoding known ciphers; others were used to discover breaks into new ciphers. And with the start of the Cold War, that meant Soviet cryptosystems. ERAs cryptanalytic devices were most often designed to break only one particular foreign cipher machine (which kept a stream of new contracts coming.) The specific purpose and target of each of these systems with colorful codenames are still classified.</p> <blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30228" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-help-wanted-ad-2-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?fit=384%2C392&ssl=1" data-orig-size="384,392" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA help wanted ad 2 photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?fit=294%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?fit=384%2C392&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30228" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?resize=156%2C159&ssl=1" alt="" width="156" height="159" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?w=384&ssl=1 384w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?resize=294%2C300&ssl=1 294w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-help-wanted-ad-2-photo.jpg?resize=147%2C150&ssl=1 147w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 156px) 100vw, 156px" /></a><strong>What Did ERA Build For the National Security Agency (NSA)?</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By the end of ERA’s first year, ERA had contracts for a digital device called Alcatraz which used thousands of vacuum tubes and relays. A contract for a system named O’Malley followed. Then two “exhaustive trial” systems called <a href="https://www.cryptomuseum.com/cam/hecate/index.htm">Hecate</a> for $250,000 ($3.2 million in today’s dollars) and the follow-on system, <a href="https://www.cryptomuseum.com/cam/warlock/index.htm">Warlock </a>($500,000 – $6.4 million today.) Warlock was so large that it was kept at the ERA factory and operated as a remote operations center.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Next were the <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/reports-research/FOLDER_107/41743419078275.pdf">Robin machines, a photoelectric comparator</a>, used to attack the Soviet Albatross code. The first two were delivered in the end of 1950. Thirteen more were delivered to NSA over the next two years.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>ERA Disk Drives<br /> </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the problems code breakers had was the difficulty of being able to store and operate on large sets of data. To do so, cryptanalysts used thousands of punched cards, miles of paper tapes and microfilm. ERA was the pioneer in the development of an early form of disk drives called magnetic drum memories.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30207" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-drum-memory-photos-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?fit=966%2C774&ssl=1" data-orig-size="966,774" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA Drum Memory photos" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?fit=300%2C240&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?fit=468%2C375&ssl=1" class="wp-image-30207 alignright" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?resize=163%2C130&ssl=1" alt="" width="163" height="130" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?w=966&ssl=1 966w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?resize=150%2C120&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Drum-Memory-photos.jpg?resize=768%2C615&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 163px) 100vw, 163px" /></a>ERA used these magnetic drums in the special systems they built for NSA and later in their Atlas computers. They also sold them as </span><a style="font-weight: 400;" href="https://d1yx3ys82bpsa0.cloudfront.net/brochures/era.magnetic-storage-systems.ca1958.102646316.pdf">peripherals to other computer companies</a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a style="font-weight: 400;" href="http://www.jproc.ca/crypto/goldberg_and_demon.html">Goldberg</a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which followed, was another room-sized special purpose machine – a comparator with statistical capabilities – that took photoelectric sensing and paper tape scanning to new heights. </span><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30211" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-goldberg-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?fit=897%2C585&ssl=1" data-orig-size="897,585" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA Goldberg" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?fit=300%2C196&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?fit=468%2C305&ssl=1" class="wp-image-30211 alignright" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?resize=205%2C134&ssl=1" alt="" width="205" height="134" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?resize=300%2C196&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?resize=150%2C98&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?resize=768%2C501&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Goldberg.jpg?w=897&ssl=1 897w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Costing $250,000 ($3.2 million in today’s dollars), it had 7,000 tubes and was one of the first Agency machines to use a magnetic drum to store and handle data.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Another similarly sized system, <a href="http://www.jproc.ca/crypto/goldberg_and_demon.html">Demon</a>, followed. It was a dictionary machine designed to crack a Soviet code. It also used 34-inch-diameter magnetic drum to perform a specialized version of table lookup. Three of these large systems were delivered.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">ERA engineers operated at the same relentless and exhausting pace as they had done in war time – similar to how Silicon Valley silicon and computer companies would operate three decades later.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">For the next decade ERA would continue to deliver a stream of special-purpose code breaking electronic systems and subsystems for the Navy cryptologic community. (These NSA documents give a hint at the number and variety of encryption and decryption equipment at NSA in the early 1950’s: <a href="https://cryptomuseum.com/cam/files/NSA_19520613_CAM.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/reports-research/FOLDER_107/41743419078275.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here,</a> <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/reports-research/FOLDER_154/41745979078521.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/reports-research/FOLDER_106/41743689078291.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/friedman-documents/patent-equipment/FOLDER_425/41774259081336.pdf">here</a>.)</p> </blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;">ERA was undercapitalized and always looking for other products to sell. At the same time ERA was building systems for the NSA they pursued other lines of businesses; <a href="https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA952695.pdf">research studies on liquid fueled rockets</a>, <a href="https://vipclubmn.org/couplers.html">aircraft antenna couplers</a> (which turned into a profitable product line,) a Doppler Miss Distance Indicator, <a href="https://crosleyautoclub.com/GasPorter/GasPorter.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ground Support Equipment</a> (GSE) for airlines, and Project Boom to produce instrumentation for what would become underground nuclear tests. A 1950 study for the Office of Naval Research called <a href="http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/era/High_Speed_Computing_Devices_1950.pdf">High-Speed Computing Devices</a> – a survey of all computers then existent in the U.S. As there was no single source of information about what was happening in the rapidly growing computer field, this ERA report became the bible of early U.S. computers.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>The Holy Grail – A Digital Computer for Cryptography?<br /> </strong>As complicated as the ERA machines were, they were still single function machines, not general purpose computers. But up until 1946 no one had built a general purpose computer.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">With the war over what the Navy OP-20-G’s and Army SIS computing wizards really wanted was to create a single machine that could perform all the major cryptanalytic functions. The most important of the crypto techniques were based upon either locating repeated patterns, tallying massive numbers of letter patterns, and recognizing plain text, or performing some form of “exhaustive searching.”</p> <blockquote> <h3 style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>How the NSA Got Their First Computers</strong></h3> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Their idea was to put each of these major cryptanalytic functions in separate, dedicated, single-function hardware boxes and connect them through a central switching mechanism. That would allow cryptanalysts to tie them together in any configuration; and hook it all to free-standing input/output mechanisms. With a stock of these specialized boxes the agencies believed they could create any desired cryptanalytic engine.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Just as the consensus for this type of architecture was coalescing, a new idea emerged in 1946 – the concept of a general purpose digital computer with a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Neumann_architecture">von Neumann architecture</a>. In contrast to having many separate hardwired functions, a general purpose computer would have just the four basic arithmetic ones (add, subtract, multiple and divide) along with a few that allowed movement of data between the input-output components, memory, and a single central processor. In theory, one piece of hardware could be made to imitate any machine through an inexpensive and easily changed set of instructions.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Opponents to the project believed that a von Neumann design would always be too slow because it had only a single processor to do everything. (This debate between dedicated special purpose hardware versus general purpose computers continues to this day.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The tipping point in this debate happened <a href="https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/sites/default/files/documents/3106067/Document-01.pdf">in 1946 when an OPS-20-G engineer went to the Moore School’s 1946 summer course on computers</a>. The Moore School’s computer group had just completed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC">ENIAC</a>, arguably the first programmable digital computer, and they were beginning to sketch the outlines of their own new computer, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIVAC_I#:~:text=The%20UNIVAC%20I%20(Universal%20Automatic,the%20inventors%20of%20the%20ENIAC.">UNIVAC</a> the first computer for business applications. The engineer came back to the Navy computing group an advocate for building a general-purpose digital computer for codebreaking having convinced himself that most cryptanalysis could be performed through digital methods. He prepared a report to show that his device would be useful to everyone at OP-20-G. The report remained Top Secret for decades.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The report detailed how a general-purpose machine could have successfully attacked the <a href="https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.857/2019/project/24-Lami-Kallco-Guo-Shi.pdf">Japanese Purple codes</a> as well as German <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enigma_machine">Enigma</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_(cryptography)">Fish</a> systems, and how it would be usefully against the current Soviet and <a href="https://www.cryptomuseum.com/crypto/hagelin/index.htm">Hagelin</a> systems.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">This changed everything for the NSA. They were now in the computer business.</p> </blockquote> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>ERA’s ATLAS<br /> </em>In 1948 the Navy gave ERA the contract to produce its first digital computer called ATLAS to be used by OPS-20-G for codebreaking.<a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30209" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-ad-for-engineers-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?fit=1110%2C576&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1110,576" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA Ad for Engineers" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?fit=300%2C156&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?fit=468%2C243&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30209" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers-300x156.jpg?resize=208%2C108&ssl=1" alt="" width="208" height="108" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?resize=300%2C156&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?resize=1024%2C531&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?resize=150%2C78&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?resize=768%2C399&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?w=1110&ssl=1 1110w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Ad-for-Engineers.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Twenty four months later, ERA delivered the first of two 24-bit ATLAS I computers. <a href="https://vipclubmn.org/Documents/Sperry%20UNIVAC%20-%20The%20First%20Computer%20Company%20-%20Chapter%203%20ERA%20by%20George%20Champine%20-%201979.pdf">The Atlas was 45’ wide and 9’ long. It weighed 16,000 pounds</a> and was water cooled. Each ATLAS I cost the NSA $1.3 million ($16 million in today’s dollars).</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">In hindsight, the NSA <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_Rubicon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crossed the Rubicon</a> when the ATLAS I arrived. Today, an intelligence agency without computers is unimaginable. Its purchase showed incredible foresight and initiated a new era of cryptanalysis at the NSA. It was one of the handful of general purpose, binary computers anywhere. Ten<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KYd_QS4cONmf9YGO39aHJEf-hY8HglCV/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> years later the NSA would have 53 computers</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30215" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-atlas-console-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?fit=800%2C640&ssl=1" data-orig-size="800,640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="ERA Atlas console photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?fit=300%2C240&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?fit=468%2C374&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30215" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?resize=200%2C160&ssl=1" alt="" width="200" height="160" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?w=800&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?resize=300%2C240&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?resize=150%2C120&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Atlas-console-photo-.png?resize=768%2C614&ssl=1 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a>ERA asked the NSA for permission to offer the computer for commercial sale. The NSA required ERA to <a href="https://vaibhavsagar.com/blog/2019/09/08/popcount/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remove instructions that made the computer efficient for cryptography</a>, and that became the commercial version – the <a href="https://d1yx3ys82bpsa0.cloudfront.net/brochures/era.1101.1951.102646300.pdf">ERA 1101</a> announced in December 1951. It had no operating or programming manual and its input/output facilities was a typewriter, a paper tape reader, and a paper tape punch. At the time, no programming languages existed.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30218" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-1101-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?fit=1226%2C828&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1226,828" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA 1101 photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?fit=468%2C316&ssl=1" class="alignleft wp-image-30218" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?resize=200%2C135&ssl=1" alt="" width="200" height="135" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?resize=1024%2C692&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?resize=300%2C203&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?resize=150%2C101&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?resize=768%2C519&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?w=1226&ssl=1 1226w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1101-photo.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">ERA had delivered a breakthrough computer without having an understanding of its potential application or what a customer might have to do to use the machine. In search of commercial customers, ERA set up a ERA 1101 computer in Washington and offered it to companies as a <a href="https://d1yx3ys82bpsa0.cloudfront.net/brochures/era.computation-center.1950.102646301.pdf">remote computing center</a>. As far as the commercial world knew ERA was a startup with no real computing expertise and this was their first offering. In addition, the only people with experience in writing applications for the 1101 were hidden away at NSA, and ERA was unable to staff the Arlington office to create programs for customers. Finally, ERA’s penchant for extreme secrecy left them unschooled in the art of marketing, sales, and Public Relations. When they couldn’t find any customers they donated the <a href="https://d1yx3ys82bpsa0.cloudfront.net/brochures/era.1101.1951.102646300.pdf">ERA 1101</a> to Georgia Tech.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">With their hands on their first ever general purpose digital computer, the Navy and ERA rapidly learned what needed to be improved. ERA’s follow-on computer, the ATLAS II was a 32-bit system with additional instruction extensions for cryptography. Two were delivered to NSA between 1953 and 1954. ATLAS II cost the NSA $2.3 million ($35 million today.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Late in 1952, a year before the ATLAS II was delivered to the NSA, ERA told <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Rand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Remington Rand</a> (who now owned the company) the ATLAS II computer existed (and the government had paid for its R&D costs) and it was competitive with the newly announced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_701" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IBM 701</a>. When the ATLAS II was delivered to the NSA in 1953 they again asked for permission to sell it commercially (and again had to remove some instructions) which turned the Atlas II into the commercial <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNIVAC_1103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ERA/Univac 1103</a>. (see its 1956 reference manual <a href="http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/univac/1103/Univac_Scientific_1103A_Reference_Manual_1956.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30220" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-1103-configuration-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?fit=1570%2C962&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1570,962" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA 1103 configuration photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?fit=300%2C184&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?fit=468%2C287&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30220" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=200%2C123&ssl=1" alt="" width="200" height="123" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=1024%2C627&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=300%2C184&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=150%2C92&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=768%2C471&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?resize=1536%2C941&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?w=1570&ssl=1 1570w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-1103-configuration-photo.jpg?w=1404&ssl=1 1404w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a>This time with Remington Rand’s experience in sales and marketing, the computer was a commercial success with about twenty 1103s sold.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><em>ERA’s Bogart<br /> </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 1953, with the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">ATLAS </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">computers in hand, the Navy realized that a smaller digital computer could be used for data conversion and editing, and to “clean up” raw data for input to larger computers. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was the </span><a style="font-weight: 400;" href="http://www.silogic.com/Athena/Bogart.html">Bogart</a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30221" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-bogart-photo/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?fit=1244%2C866&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1244,866" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="ERA Bogart Photo" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?fit=300%2C209&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?fit=468%2C326&ssl=1" class="alignright wp-image-30221" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?resize=200%2C139&ssl=1" alt="" width="200" height="139" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?resize=1024%2C713&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?resize=300%2C209&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?resize=150%2C104&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?resize=768%2C535&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?w=1244&ssl=1 1244w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ERA-Bogart-Photo.jpg?w=936&ssl=1 936w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Physically </span><a style="font-weight: 400;" href="http://www.silogic.com/Athena/Bogart.html">Bogart </a><span style="font-weight: 400;">was a “small, compact” (compared to the ATLAS) computer that weighed 3,000 pounds and covered 20 square feet of floor space. To get a feel of how insanely difficult it was to program a 1950’s computer take a look at the 1957 Bogart programming manual <a href="https://vipclubmn.org/BitsBakUp/BOGART%20Programmers%20Manual%20(July%201957).pdf">here</a>.) The Bogart design team was headed by <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/history-today-articles/10%202018/05OCT2018%20SEYMOUR%20CRAY%20and%20NSA.pdf?ver=P3xsKeHprvcBBChHKi77Gw%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seymour Cray</a>. E</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">RA delivered five Bogart machines to NSA. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Seymour Cray would reuse features of the Bogart logic design when he designed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Tactical_Data_System" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy Tactical Data System computers</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/USQ-17" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNIVAC 490</a> and the Control Data Corporation’s <a href="https://www.computerhistory.org/tdih/october/16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC 1604</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDC_160_series" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CDC 160</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">By 1953, 40% of the University of Minnesota electrical engineering graduates – including Cray – were working for ERA.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>The End of an ERA<br /> </strong>By 1952, the mainframe computer industry was beginning to take shape with office machine and electronics companies such as Remington Rand, Burroughs, National Cash Register, Raytheon, RCA and IBM. Parker, still the CEO, realized that the frantic chase of government contracts was unsustainable. (The relationship with the NSA’s procurement offices now run by Army staff, had become so strained that the Navy Computing Lab was unable to get an official letter of thanks sent to ERA for having developed the ATLAS.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Parker calculated that ERA needed $5 million to $10 million ($75 to $150 million in today’s dollars) to grow and compete with the existing companies in the commercial computing market. Even after the NSA took over the cryptologic work of OPS-20-G the formal contracts with ERA were done through the Navy’s Bureau of Ships. NSA was known as No Such Agency and on paper its relationship with ERA didn’t exist. As far as the public knew, ERA’s products were for “the Navy.” Given that ERA’s extraordinary technical work was unknown to anyone other than the NSA, Parker didn’t think he could raise the money via a public offering (venture capital as we know it didn’t exist.)</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Instead, in 1952, Parker sold ERA to Remington Rand (best known for producing typewriters) for $1.7M (about $12M in today’s dollars.) A year earlier, Remington Rand had bought <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckert%E2%80%93Mauchly_Computer_Corporation">Eckert-Mauchly</a> – one of the first U.S. <em>commercial </em>computer companies – and its line of UNIVAC computers. They wanted ERA to get its government customers. ERA remained a standalone division. The ERA 1101 and 1103 became a part of the UNIVAC product line.</p> <p><a href="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?ssl=1"><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-attachment-id="30225" data-permalink="https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/era-history-picture-edited/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?fit=455%2C277&ssl=1" data-orig-size="455,277" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="era history picture edited" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?fit=300%2C183&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?fit=455%2C277&ssl=1" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-30225" src="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?resize=455%2C277&ssl=1" alt="" width="455" height="277" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?w=455&ssl=1 455w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?resize=300%2C183&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/steveblank.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/era-history-picture-edited.jpg?resize=150%2C91&ssl=1 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></a></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Parker became head of sales of the merged computer division. He left in 1956 and years later he became chairman of the Teleregister Corporation, the predecessor to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunker_Ramo">Bunker-Ramo</a>. He went on to become a director of several companies, including Northwest Airlines and Martin Marietta.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Remington Rand itself would be acquired by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperry_Corporation">Sperry</a> in 1955 and both ERA and Eckert–Mauchly were folded into a computer division called Sperry-UNIVAC. Much of ERA’s work was dropped, while their drum technology was used in newer UNIVAC machines. In 1986 Sperry merged with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burroughs_Corporation">Burroughs</a> to form <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisys">Unisys</a>.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Epilogue<br /> </strong>For the next 60 years the NSA would have the largest collection of commercial computers and computing horsepower in the world. They would continue to supplement those with dedicated special purpose hardware.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">The reorganization of American Signals Intelligence, leading to the creation of the <a href="https://cryptologicfoundation.org/community/bytes/this_day_in_history_calendar.html/event/2023/05/20/1684558800/1949-armed-forces-security-agency-created-/96271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Armed Forces Signals Agency (AFSA)</a> in 1949, then <a href="https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/cryptologic-spectrum/early_history_nsa.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NSA in 1952</a>, contributed to the demise of the special relationship between ERA and the code- breakers. The integration of the Army and Navy brought a shift in who made decisions about computer purchasing. NSA inherited a computer staff from the Army side of technical SIGINT. They had different ties and orientations than the few remaining old Navy hands. As a result, the new core NSA group did not protest when the special group that integrated Agency and ERA work was disbanded. The 1954 termination of the Navy Computing Machine Lab in St. Paul went almost unnoticed.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">But the era of Minnesota’s role as a scientific computing and innovation cluster wasn’t over. In fact, it was just getting started. In 1957 ERA co-founder William Norris, and Sperry-Univac engineers Seymour Cray, Willis Drake, and ERA’s treasurer Arnold Ryden, along with a half dozen others, left Sperry-Univac and teamed up with three investors to form a new Minneapolis-based computer company: Control Data Corporation (CDC). For the next two decades Control Data would build the fastest scientific computers in the world.</p> <p><strong>Read part 18 <a href="https://steveblank.com/2023/08/29/before-there-was-oppenheimer-there-was-vannevar-bush/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and all the Secret History posts <a href="https://steveblank.com/secret-history/#Secret%20History%20Backstory" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></strong></p> <hr /> <iframe loading="lazy" width="100%" height="91" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F1720156728&width=false&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=false&show_comments=false&color=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false"></iframe> ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:36:"http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/";a:1:{s:10:"commentRss";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:110:"https://steveblank.com/2023/12/11/the-secret-history-of-minnesota-part-1-engineering-research-associates/feed/";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:38:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/";a:1:{s:8:"comments";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:1:"0";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:7:"post-id";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:5:"30190";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}s:27:"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom";a:1:{s:4:"link";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:0:"";s:7:"attribs";a:1:{s:0:"";a:3:{s:4:"href";s:28:"https://steveblank.com/feed/";s:3:"rel";s:4:"self";s:4:"type";s:19:"application/rss+xml";}}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:44:"http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/";a:2:{s:12:"updatePeriod";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:9:" hourly ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}s:15:"updateFrequency";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:4:" 1 ";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}s:30:"com-wordpress:feed-additions:1";a:1:{s:4:"site";a:1:{i:0;a:5:{s:4:"data";s:7:"6599589";s:7:"attribs";a:0:{}s:8:"xml_base";s:0:"";s:17:"xml_base_explicit";b:0;s:8:"xml_lang";s:0:"";}}}}}}}}}}}}s:4:"type";i:128;s:7:"headers";a:16:{s:6:"server";s:5:"nginx";s:4:"date";s:29:"Sat, 01 Mar 2025 23:19:29 GMT";s:12:"content-type";s:34:"application/rss+xml; charset=UTF-8";s:10:"connection";s:10:"keep-alive";s:25:"strict-transport-security";s:16:"max-age=31536000";s:4:"vary";s:45:"Accept-Encoding, accept, content-type, cookie";s:8:"x-hacker";s:54:"Want root? 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