Stanford Seminar - Silicon Valley & The U.S. Gov: Go-to-Market Strategies for Dual-Use Companies

Steve Blank delivers a lecture on strategies for startups selling to the Department of Defense (DoD), emphasizing the unique challenges compared to commercial sales. He highlights the importance of understanding the DoD's specific problems and requirements, rather than focusing solely on technology. Blank points out that the DoD acquisition process is complex and requires navigating a vast bureaucracy, and he suggests startups pursue multiple opportunities simultaneously due to the high turnover of personnel. He also touches on funding, noting the emergence of mission-driven venture capitalists interested in defense startups, and he advises founders to engage in customer discovery to align their solutions with real needs. The lecture concludes with a Q&A session, addressing dual-use technologies and go-to-market strategies.