The post discusses feedback regarding memos on research, emphasizing they shouldn't simplify complex ideas. Successful memos require intuitive arguments for policymakers, aligning with political agendas, and allowing graceful retreats for stakeholders. The author outlines effective practices using examples from reputable sources and warns against overcomplication that may hinder support.
I’ve written or edited memos for both Hill staffers and DoD / DHS and other security agencies. While both a Hill staffer and a DoD audience might be engaged on the same issue (e.g., national resilience, dual-use policy, or industrial capacity), the positioning, tone, and framing must differ to match their institutional mandate, time horizon, … Continue reading The Art of Defense Policy Memo Writing
Measuring progress at an early-stage deep tech startup in space or propulsion or material sciences is very different from measuring SaaS startups. The goals are the same: you want to measure technology/product progress; you want to measure customer engagement and "sales funnels" for your prospects; and you want to measure progress for the next round … Continue reading 5 Venture Capital Metrics for DeepTech Startups
"Innovation Theater" highlights the U.S. tech ecosystem’s focus on temporary initiatives without long-term commitment. This leads to symptoms like abandoned projects and unscalable startups. The importance of “infrastructure memory” and “manufacturing depth” is emphasized, advocating for a dual-track model that balances disruptive innovation with resilient production capabilities.
The content discusses how Japan, India, and Israel successfully implemented industrial policies through state-led strategies, fostering economic resilience and innovation. It contrasts their approaches with the U.S.'s market-dependent model, suggesting that the U.S. could benefit from a more integrated and strategic industrial policy to enhance resilience and promote long-term growth.
The content discusses the evaluation of Portal Space, a startup developing maneuverable spacecraft, following their $17.5 million fundraising. The author outlines a five-step analysis framework focusing on competitors, company challenges, investor perspectives, and potential secret weapons. Portal Space aims to revolutionize orbital agility but faces significant strategic vulnerabilities and must succeed in market education to secure investor confidence.
Recycling innovation — especially in the mining sector and rare earth elements (REEs) — is held back by a deeply entangled web of technological inertia, misaligned economic incentives, and systemic narrative failures. Not by a lack of venture capital interest per se. The prevailing narrative has long equated recycling with waste management, not strategic resource … Continue reading Recycling — A Systemic Narrative Failure
not every tech-enabled business needs venture capital. It's time for a new financial product tailored to the needs of critical infrastructure and national resilience.
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/brilliantpeoplepodcast/episodes/Erik-Anderson-Founder--CEO-of-WestRiver-Group-and-Vice-Chair-of-Topgolf-Callaway-Brands-on-Leading-in-an-Exponential-World-e32t7u1/a-abuoet6 The cornerstone of high performing teams is safety: Safety to fail, safety to doubt, safety to speak your mind, safety to disagree, safety to make mistakes, safety to not have certainty. That doesn't mean you're not accountable -- you still have to own your mistakes. But safety is at the core, especially under radical … Continue reading Tactical Notes: When Teams Fail.
The backbone of dual-use manufacturing in the US is broken, an echo of Eisenhower-era infrastructure warnings, but for deep tech. As you might know, I've been working full-time in a sub $50M annual revenue CNC machine shop in a seedy part of town in Berkeley, CA, since I left the NATO Innovation Fund. Half our … Continue reading Dual-Use Manufacturing: It’s Not That We Can’t Build — We Just Don’t Know Who Should!
