Overcoming the Valley of Death: Startup Solutions in Government Tech | The Pair Program Ep44

Join us for an insightful exploration into the intricate landscape of government technology modernization, as we delve into the daunting valley of death faced by startups in the defense sector.

Our guests, Warren Katz and Col Aneel Alvares, bring unparalleled expertise and firsthand experience in overcoming the regulatory, bureaucratic, and scalability hurdles that often impede innovation in government operations.

They offer invaluable insights into the funding gap, product-market fit challenges, and the transformative potential of government reform. From navigating long sales cycles to addressing scalability and integration issues, this episode paints a comprehensive picture of the current state of affairs and highlights the critical need for a healthier ecosystem for small businesses in government tech.

About Aneel Alvares. Col Aneel "Cramden" Alvares helps lead engagement with the DoD and is the Boston Lead at the Defense Innovation Unit. His military background includes experience as a B-1 pilot, terminal attack controller, and operational test and evaluation leader, with service in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In his current role, he leads a team that frames new projects by leveraging commercial sector technologies to address priority DoD problems, while also working to engage the greater Boston and east coast innovation ecosystems.

About Warren Katz. Warren is currently Chairman of The Board of The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government. Previously, Warren was the Managing Director for Techstars’ Air Force Accelerator, helping AFWERX and the US Air Force become more attractive customers to startup companies. He is an angel investor and mentor to dozens of dual-use companies and was formerly the CEO of MAK Technologies. With Bachelor’s in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from MIT, Warren possesses deep technical and business acumen, with specific expertise in barriers to doing business with the government.

Sign-Up for the Weekly hatchpad Newsletter: https://www.myhatchpad.com/newsletter/