Why Federal Innovation Pilots Die in PowerPoint
Most government innovation pilots never reach a funding line. Here is where they break and what agency leaders can do about it before the demo.
Insights
Ideas you can use in the work
Practical insights on innovation strategy, federal funding, customer discovery, HBCU ecosystems, and building programs that ship. Written from 25+ years inside government, universities, and startups.
SBIR vs STTR: Which Non-Dilutive Path Fits Your Startup
SBIR and STTR fund different companies. Here is how the two programs differ, which one fits your team, and what gets most applications rejected.
Your First 100 Customer Conversations
A practical guide to customer discovery interviews for founders. What to ask, what not to ask, and how to know when the data is telling you to pivot.
Building HBCU Innovation Ecosystems That Reach Off Campus
Campus innovation programs stall when they have no pipeline to federal or corporate demand. Here is how to build one, with numbers from 283 institutions.
Designing Offsites That Produce Decisions, Not Alignment Theater
Most leadership offsites end in agreement and change nothing. Here is how to design one that produces decisions people can act on Monday morning.
Hope Is Only Part of the Strategy
Strategy asks people to think clearly. Leadership also creates the conditions for hope to take hold by making space for the emotional life of an organization.