Squaring the Circle Software Acquisitions with Lauren Dailey
34 snips
Jul 26, 2025 Lauren Dailey, a senior manager at Deloitte and a leader in defense innovation, dives into the transformative shift in software acquisitions for the Department of Defense. She discusses the importance of agile methodologies and user feedback in software development, emphasizing the need to adapt to fast-evolving threats. Dailey also explores the balance of risk and opportunity in defense tech, highlighting innovative contracting approaches like Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) to streamline processes and attract startups, ultimately enhancing national security.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Creating DIU's Commercial Solutions Opening
- Lauren Dailey led the creation of the Commercial Solutions Opening at DIU to fund projects with Silicon Valley startups.
- This approach used Other Transaction Agreements to enable faster, more flexible commercial-style procurement in DoD.
Understanding OTAs and CSOs
- An OTA is a flexible contract outside Federal Acquisition Regulation enabling faster procurement.
- A CSO is a competitive mechanism to award OTAs, enabling faster software acquisition.
Speeding Startup Access with OTAs and CSOs
- OTAs and CSOs can speed procurement to help startups cross the "valley of death" from prototyping to production.
- However, these mechanisms do not solve funding challenges for early-stage companies.