January 01. 2021
Innovation is the heartbeat of advancement in many areas of life, including commercial technology for defense. In this second episode of our discussion with Mike Courtney, a technologist and futurist, we discuss how innovation begins . . . and how it proceeds. Mike talks about “great leaps” as well as “incremental steps.” He explains why one approach may be more appropriate than the other.
To provide a context for this dynamic, we use the evolution of aerial bombardment to illustrate both incremental innovation and great leaps of innovation that have undergirded the changes in this method of war fighting.
We discuss what kind of perspective is needed to be an innovator and our examples include Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton, two men whose backgrounds and range of expertise may surprise you.
Emails: mark@commercebasix.com and mike@apirioninsights.comTags: podcast, innovation, airforce
January 01. 2021
In this first part of a two part series, I talk with noted technologist and futurist, Mike Courtney, about innovation. We discuss what it takes for individuals or organizations to succeed at innovating, things that stand in the way of best practices, and lessons that can be learned from past innovation failures and successes.
Because our audience is focused on military innovation and high technology, our discussion ranges widely: from the Maginot Line and Noorden bombsight, to the iPhone and ethical concerns about some classes of innovation.
As someone who guides organizations in the process of imagining and innovating their future, Mike offers concrete advice to both commercial companies and the military on how to innovate successfully as well as suggestions on pitfalls to avoid.
Email: mike@apirioninsights.com
Tags: podcast, innovation
December 12. 2020
The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win...in air, space and cyberspace.
But doing that requires a new level of coordination and integration of both manned and unmanned systems. And a way to connect “sensors to shooters.”
In today’s episode, we talk with Ohad Harlev, co-founder and CEO of LyteLoop, a firm based in New York, and a recent participant in the Air Force Space Command’s Catalyst Accelerator. Ohad and his team have been working for four years to create the first space-based data center using a set of patentable techniques to store information on lasers connected to a constellation of low earth orbit satellites.
LyteLoop’s innovation, a space-based data center or a “cloud above the clouds,” could be a key part of helping Dr. William Roper’s vision of accessing data anywhere become a reality.
Email addresses:
Mark Goode: mark@commercebasix.com
Ohad Harlev: ohad.harlev@lyteloop.com
Original music composed by Josh Goode Music: joshgoode1@icloud.com
Tags: podcast, Space, innovation, catalystaccelerator, airforce, leo
November 11. 2020
This is the second episode taken from my conversation with Eric Lofgren.
In our first episode, Eric and I discussed the challenge of how DoD counts costs, a system that is based on an industrial view of the defense industry and one that dates back to the second world war. His conclusion and a view that I share is that DoD’s cost accounting system is outdated and does a poor job of providing guidance to the department’s decision makers as well as members of Congress.
Yet, as the department accelerates its efforts to woo commercial innovators to bring their best ideas to the military, that begs this important question: how will the department value these innovations? Will it be based on a “works for hire,” “time and materials” accounting method as used by the defense prime contractors? If so, many commercial firms won’t engage with DoD. For them, value is determined by a broader market and is imputed based on a variety of factors, many of which are unrelated to the underlying cost of goods sold - or services rendered.
You can listen to the full episode here on our show, Commercial Innovation for Defense, on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Email: mark@commercebasix.com and Lofgren.e.m@gmail.com Tags: podcast, defense, defenseaccounting , innovation
