Adoption vs. Invention: The Truth About DoD’s Innovation Challenge with Josh Marcuse

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Jan 21, 2025

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The real challenge for the Department of Defense (DoD) isn’t coming up with innovations. The DoD has a long history of celebrated innovators and has invested billions of dollars in research and development. So, what’s holding back these innovations?

In this episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell speaks with Josh Marcuse, former Defense Innovation Board leader and now with Google Public Sector, to explore this issue. Josh explains the definition of innovation and why the DoD’s main hurdle isn’t creating new ideas but implementing them.

They discuss the role of culture in risk tolerance, how platforms like cloud computing drive AI adoption, and the importance of supporting entrepreneurial talent within the organization.

Tune in now to learn how to drive change and encourage the adoption of innovation.

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:37) From Pentagon to Google: Josh Marcuse’s career transition

(03:40) Josh Marcuse’s definition of innovation

(05:51) The innovation adoption curve explained

(08:56) Importance of focusing on early adopters over laggards

(28:23) Rethinking risk and its role in innovation adoption

(38:32) Challenging conventional wisdom through talent management

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Josh Marcuse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamarcuse

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Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.