Crossing the Valley

GoTenna is a great example of a company that built legit tech, found its niche in the federal market, and fought to survive long enough to generate the kind of traction that will allow it to be a smash hit. CEO Ari Schuler joined us to share his candid takes on the company, the journey, and the market. The company supports over 350 agencies in mission-critical operations around the world today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Michael Grochol is a fascinating example of when a Silicon Valley-raised problem solver-come-national security expert. His approach to starting a company was long, methodical, and principled. And it led him to the helm of one of the nation’s fastest growing defense services companies.Unlike many founders, Michael actually turned down the first opportunity he had to start a company.Why?He felt he wasn’t prepared.So he focused on acquiring the skills and experiences he knew he would need, to be able to succeed when he finally stepped into the role.Fair to say, that bet is paying off!For more on IronEagleX: https://ironeaglex.com/For more on Michael Grochol: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-grochol/For more Crossing the Valley: https://www.youtube.com/@FrontdoorDefense This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Former Palantir and Expanse employee Marc Frankel, now founder of Manifest Cyber, discusses tackling software supply chain vulnerabilities. Topics include the impact of past defense tech startups, S-bombs for software transparency, building a startup foundation from Palantir, and the critical need for AI transparency. The conversation delves into lessons learned from past experiences and future prospects in the defense tech sector.

Will Edwards, CEO of Firehawk Aerospace, discusses 3D printed rocket propellant, winning Congressional appropriations, and revolutionizing the propulsion market. Topics include innovative 3D printing in rocket fuel production, navigating niche space markets, military collaborations, and securing aerospace funding challenges.

In this conversation with Second Front Systems CEO Tyler Sweatt, we dive into Tyler's own transition from military to startups, what the Defense Department and startups miss about each other, and what the future holds for defense tech. Timestamps: 2:22 - Tyler's background and the journey to the C-suite 6:30 - The Second Front team and Kessel Run origin story 9:00 - Tyler reacts to the Defense Ventures Fellowship news 12:20 - What Second Front is doing and why 16:45 - How Second Front went to market initially 20:54 - You are not at a startup unless... 23:20 - "Mo ways for mo apps is mo better" 26:40 - Federal vs commercial business 31:16 - How to structure the government business for growth 33:55 - Startup culture vs big DoD culture 42:48 - Why a Prime didn't build Second Front's product 44:40 - Tyler's hopes for the industry For more on Second Front: secondfront.com To learn more about Offset Symposium: secondfront.com/offset-symposium  To read the case study: frontdoordefense.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

OverviewCFD Research is a small business founded in 1987 in the Singhal family garage in Huntsville, Alabama. Today it is a $75M business that has received more than $100M in SBIR funding, with one of the highest commercialization rates in the business.We spoke with CEO and President Sameer Singhal about the company's business model, and how they go about delivering for the mission of national defense.For more:* On CFD Research: www.cfd-reserach.com* On Sameer Singhal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameer-singhal-304b6018/* Crossing the Valley: https://www.youtube.com/@FrontdoorDefense  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

Case Study: From Zero to A Billion - the Making of an Identity Verification UnicornI met Blake Hall in 2020, during COVID, as my nonprofit organization was looking to help surge healthcare professionals into the fight against the pandemic. One of the key challenges was identifying and verifying user credentials. Enter ID.me; Blake and team offered to do it for the healthcare facilities who were vetting our volunteers - and incredibly, to do it for free. His heart for service runs deep. I’m excited to share his story - the ID.me story - with you.For more info:* On Blake Hall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallblake/* On ID.me: https://www.id.me/⏲️ Timestamps ⏲️2:23 - The ID.me founding story6:40 - Finding their first users11:55 - Early funding, the power of serendipity, and the burden of expectations14:55 - The power of niche: focusing where others had flared18:25 - ID.me's approach to product26:20 - Approaching the federal government30:55 - Commercial as a launchpad for federal33:15 - The first government grant38:10 - The cautionary tale of Connect.gov43:00 - Blake's take on adversity47:20 - The fatal sin of entrepreneurship48:25 - The value of certifications and testing54:15 - The first $1 trillion identity company?58:50 - Blake's friendship with Elon Musk1:02:20 - Blake's advice to people entering the federal market This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

“Skipping the Valley” - the ZeroEyes StoryZeroEyes was founded in 2018 by a team of Navy SEALs and technologists: Mike Lahiff, Sam Alaimo, Tim Sulzer, Rob Huberty and Dustin Brooks. The company launched following the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas elementary school to prevent future school shootings.In this episode, we speak with James “JT” Wilkins, a Marine who served fifteen years until he was medically retired. As he prepared to retire, JT had a management consulting offer in hand, and was preparing to move into the analytical lifestyle when COVID hit. What seemed like a disaster at the time turned into a blessing: when the firm pushed his offer back six months, JT knew he had to go back to work. So he discovered defense technology, and a firm called Immersive Wisdom, which gave him his foray into the industry, and an opportunity to continue the national security mission by other means. Over time, as his work brought him into contact with the ZeroEyes team at Tyndall Air Force Base, he decided to join forces with their remarkable team (more on that later).For more on: JT Wilkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameswilkins610/ZeroEyes: https://zeroeyes.com/about-us/Crossing the Valley: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYH_WbObFJwM3IkLx1UyUQ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com

David Gerson, VP of Apogee Research, discusses engineering for defense, building transition plans, DARPA initiatives, challenges of interoperability, and the future of defense technology in a captivating podcast episode.

Welcome to the first episode of Crossing the Valley!I’m excited to bring you Accrete AI’s story of tech transition. It’s a story about a commercial-first bootstrapped company finding its way in the defense market. The interview was super interesting, as our two guests have such different backgrounds: Prashant was a financial trader, while Brian had a 20+ year career inside the government. But they play off each other incredibly well, and have some absolute truth bombs for our listeners. This case study includes key takeaways, timestamps, company contracts (thanks to our friends at Procure FYI), and much more.If you like the audio version, check us out on YouTube, and read on for the Case Study highlights!And please let me know what you like and what you want more of! noah@frontdoordefense.com.⏲️TIMESTAMPS⏲️00:00 - Intro01:43 - Prashant's Background and Accrete's Founding08:47 - Brian's Background and Transition from Government13:37 - Accrete's Commercial-first Strategy17:47 - The DIU Application Process24:24 - DIU's Acquisition and Transition Process29:53 - How Accrete Built with the Customer to Pass Technical Milestones32:44 - The First Transition35:42 - Expectations vs. Reality of Transition43:02 - Advice to Small Companies50:17 - What Does the Future Hold? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.valleycrossers.com