stanford, steve blank, bmnt, diux, steve blank, pete newell, hacking for defense, h4d, joe felter, lean startup, lean launchpad, customer development

1. DoD Tech:
Concept to Deployment
Jackie Space
janew3718@gmail.com
@jackispace
Lauren Schmidt
DIUX
lauren.c.schmidt.civ@
mail.mil
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International License

2. Key Factors
• Culture of acquisitions: Big vs Rapid?
• Who you are working with matters in process:
PM, SME, User, Director/Commander, Contract
Manager
• Technical Maturity
• Program stage of sponsor
• Cost

3. DoD/IC Business Operations
• Each organization has a different mission which
influence acquisition culture
– Big “R” vs capability gaps
– How they treat acquisition authorities
– Contracts with scope for your projects
– Directors and Program Managers are key
Culture is important! Even though acquisition
authorities exist to demo concepts, does not mean
a program manager will or can exercise.

4. Technical Maturity
• DoD “Technical Readiness Level” determines type
of funding and deployment
• Understand where you fit
• Where does your org fund?
• How much $$ you need
to develop to next TRL?
• Make sure you are in synch
with the Technical SMEs

5. Purchasing Authority Thresholds
Demo
Existing
Capability
No contracts or
program
transition
TRL 3+
”Off the Shelf”
R&D
Concept – Prototype
BAA/SBIRS
Multiple awards
Intent to transition to
program (years)
TRL 1-6
$3K $25K $250K –
$1.5M
$1.5M+
Big “R” Program gaps
IDIQs
Multiple colors of
money
TRL 3+
Understand the flavor of funding and projects your
organization tends to fund!

6. Key Activities
• Contract action - RFI/RFP (program manager)
• Demo (PM, tech SME, leadership, users)
• Test & Evaluation (in-house or with separate
testing org)
• Deployment/Integration (PM and SMEs)
Ask your sponsors how their organizations handle
these activities i.e. in-house or separate orgs,
average time, who is involved

7. DIUX – Five-Sided Business Model
Tech
DoD
Sponsor
FundingContract
User
Dual-Use
Technologies

8. DIUX – Alternative Pathways
• Prime/sub relationships – multiple-award IDIQ
contracts
• OTA Consortia
– Commodity and Technology Focus
– NextFlex, NSTXL, C5
• Commercial Solutions Offering – OTAs
– Commercial terms, commercial speeds
• Strategic Investment – On Point

9. Questions?
janew3718@gmail.com
lauren.c.schmidt.civ@mail.mil