Strategies for Crossing the Valley of Death with Russ Long

This week, Ryan Connell is joined by Russ Long, founder and CEO of Long Capture, to talk about the different pathways to success a defense startup can take in the DoD. Russ shares his journey from his former Air Force contracting days to now helping tech startups bridge the gap to military adoption (a.k.a. surviving the Valley of Death.) They dive deep into the importance of impactful innovation, the evolving role of programs like SBIR, and how strategic and tactical financing are driving the second wave of defense innovation. Tune in to learn all about how to drive innovation in the defense acquisition process.

TIMESTAMPS: (0:57) Russ’s journey from contracting officer to CEO

(1:55) What is “cool” technology?

(2:55) The Benefits of SBIR and CSO Programs

(5:47) How TACFI and STRATFI programs work

(11:03) Do you have to be a commercial-first company to survive in DoD?

(14:46) What is the second wave of defense Innovation?

(19:49) Why sole source authority is critical

(26:47) What Russ looks for in a startup

(30:20) Free ways to learn from Long Capture

LINKS:

Follow Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

Follow Russ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-long/

Long Capture: https://longcapture.com/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds: https://www.tradewindai.com/