#058: Palantir - Global Defense Lead Doug Philippone

Data is the ammunition of the future. What we do with that data, how we understand and interpret it, and the decisions we make with it are what make data the most powerful tool in the modern day arsenal of both countries and companies.  

Host Fran Racioppi sits down with Doug Philippone, Global Defense Lead for Palantir, to define big data as a decision-making tool. As a former Army Ranger and West Point graduate, Doug started and has led Palantir's Global Defense division to scale while competing with some of the world's largest defense contractors.

Doug shares Palantir's rise, the hole in the market they've exploited, the challenges they've faced breaking into the government procurement system, why a technology strategy is not IT Transformation, and how AI and ML are changing the world order. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website.

Highlights:

-Data is the lifeblood of any organization or country. Doug explains how data is used in decision-making and the differences between enterprise software and data harnessing.

-Doug lives by the mantra “a lifetime of service to the nation” describing his career as an Army Ranger and transition to Palantir to develop tools to enhance the effectiveness of the military.  

-Doug credits his parents with developing a rebel spirit inside him as he provides his lessons in figuring out ways to win in complex situations. 

-Risk-based decision-making is the end result of data aggregation and analysis; Fran & Doug discuss General Stan McChrystal’s Risk Immune System from Episode 34 and how data enhances a leader’s ability to classify and understand risk in their environment. 

-The entrepreneurial spirit is changing the way the government conducts the procurement process, allowing for increased commercial technologies. 

-Doug shares the importance of investing in technology start-ups that create impact and shape the future. 

Quotes:

-”Why does data matter? It’s when it's turned into information that you can make decisions on.” (7:34)

-“We make the architecture that moves the data around and protects it so that you can make informed decisions.” (9:56)

-“Where did this information come from? Why do you know it?” (21:52)

-”You're seldom trained for the thing that you are having to do.” (30:46)

-”If you do something useful or you're producing outcomes, people will leave you alone.” (33:39)

-”The closest that a civilian will come to war is living in the startup world where you have to figure it out.” (34:35)

-”That’s the challenge of modern warfare. You're trying to make the best decision as quick as you can.” (37:53)

-”Err on the side of just doing something and be bold.” (39:36)

-”In software, we’re the best in the world…period…and second is like ten levels behind us.” (57:07)

-”You have to make a decision, a really important decision, before this happens…or else you already lost.” (1:00:57)

-“How do you process it in a way that you can make a meaningful decision in a time period where it actually still matters.” (1:01:57)

Doug’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Focus on your superpower

-Focus on what moves the needle

-Focus on what it takes to win

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions.