In this episode, Rob goes to a space conference and learns the importance of changing your mind when the facts change. Rob visits the Research Triangle in NC for Cognitive Space Operations (COGSPO) Reverse Industry Day, an event bringing together military, government civilian, and industry professionals to discuss how Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies can accelerate decision cycles and enhance situational awareness critical to successful and sustained space operations.
Rob is excited to see an increasing startup mentality in the DoD, and is working with the team at Metronome on Pulseflow AI, a software development kit (SDK) for developers to build and test algorithms for critical space launch mission requirements. It’s super practical but largely overlooked in the rush to generative AI.
Venture capital is getting excited about Department of Defense needs, which is new. It’s strategically dumb to separate them, as they feed into each other. All the aspects of society at large exist within the DoD, but it’s not a democracy internally, which has pros and cons. As an example, tight control means the DoD can make things happen much quicker when they need them to. The recent SXSW issue around DoD and defense contractor sponsorship shows we all need to try harder to work together and have open conversations. We need to get together to solve hard missions. Nothing is black and white with concrete labels. Don’t focus on the label, it’s all a big mix of people. Everyone doesn’t have to agree with 100% of a project or approach. There is good and bad in everything, and what is good and what is bad is always different for every person and at each specific point in time. If you think the same way now as you did ten years ago, that’s bad. You’ve learned nothing. As the saying goes “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”
Things should improve as more private sector challenges are solved by work done by the DoD. Historically that includes the internet and GPS. Other common everyday modern conveniences like Velcro and duct tape have been said to have come from the space program, some of which might even have actually happened. As Mark Twain may or may not have said, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
Don’t miss opportunities to join organizations you disagree with and change them from inside. Massive companies have completely different divisions with all kinds of people. There are some companies and agencies and people who are terrible, and some are amazing, but most are a mix of both. In the private sector, customers are not monoliths. Global companies have hundreds of thousands of people. So what. You’re selling to, or working with, Bob and Rita. The value of the deal isn’t always going to be related to the size of the company. Focus on value to the group who will be using it at the company. What value are you providing to actual people? Customers don’t have needs. People have needs. Don’t use cheat codes to make decisions. We’re all just a bunch of people, not faceless companies and agencies.
Just a bunch of people trying to do our best.