
The Defense Tech Underground 009: Jeff Decker - The Hacking for Defense Manual
9 snips
Mar 3, 2025 Dr. Jeff Decker, a former U.S. Army Ranger and now a professor at Stanford, shares riveting stories from his combat experience, including his participation in over 200 raids. He discusses his ambitious leap from military service to academia, fueled by a passion for innovation in defense. Decker also dives into the Hacking for Defense methodology—emphasizing the importance of understanding user needs and real-world challenges in defense technology. He highlights how this approach has scaled nationally, transforming the future of defense innovation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Validate Before Building
- Don’t build solutions in isolation; validate with real users first.
- Get out of the lab and talk to the people who face the problem daily.
Drones Failed First Field Test
- Stanford students brought drone solutions to 29 Palms expecting flight tests.
- Marines couldn’t get drones issued and the few that flew crashed, exposing wrong assumptions.
Government Is No Longer The Tech Frontier
- The government once led innovation but now must scout commercial tech.
- Rapid commercial advances mean the DoD can't always know what it needs.







