Crossing the Valley Ep. 40: A Software-Defined Approach to Autonomy
Apr 16, 2025
In this discussion, Jason Brown, General Manager of Applied Intuition's defense business, shares his extensive experience in defense innovation and AI. He talks about the shift from hardware to software in military operations, emphasizing the urgency for technology to keep pace with global competitors. Jason explores the synergy between defense and commercial autonomy technologies, highlighting the need for a new mindset in software acquisition. He also touches on the role of generative AI and effective collaboration in evolving defense applications.
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Airmen Built Solutions With Python
- Jason Brown saw airmen build Python scripts to solve ISR problems and realized software could scale their innovations.
- That experience drove him to focus on bringing software and data to warfighters at scale.
Procurement Is Hardware-Centric
- The DoD still buys vertically integrated hardware-centric systems and treats software as a cost center.
- That procurement model must change for software-defined capabilities to scale in defense.
Contract Product Companies Not Service Firms
- Do contract with product-focused software companies that can scale users from dozens to tens of thousands.
- Avoid relying on engineering-services firms that cannot build or scale a product effectively.