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a16zCan the Military Move at Startup Speed? How the Army and Navy Are Rebuilding
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Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- April 2, 2025
- Duration
- 52m
- Channel
- a16z
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
When people think about startups working with the government, the phrase “black box” often comes up. But what if that box is finally being pried open? In this episode—recorded live at the American Dynamism Summit in DC—we talk with two Chief Technology Officers at the heart of American defense: Alex Miller, CTO for the Chief of Staff of the Army, and Justin Fanelli, CTO at the Department of the Navy. Along with a16z partner Leila Hay, they break down how the Department of Defense is shifting from decades-old processes to software-speed execution, why the real bottlenecks are cultural, not technical, and how startups can actually navigate and scale within this massive system. From replacing outdated procurement with faster pathways, to getting tech into the hands of warfighters faster, this is a rare look inside the government’s most ambitious efforts to modernize—and what it means for builders on the outside. Is it time to rip up the system and start fresh? Or are the seeds of change already in the ground? Timecodes: 00:00: Introduction 00:46: Meet the CTOs: Alex Miller and Justin Fanelli 03:44: Pathways for Startups in the DoD 04:44: Addressing the Black Box of DoD Processes 08:08: Navigating DoD Program Offices 19:32: Scaling Effective Solutions 20:23: Leveraging Technology for Military Overmatch 27:03: Enterprise Solutions: Concerns, Unique Needs, and Data 32:47: Budget Constraints and Strategic Spending 37:24: Risk Management: Balancing Innovation and Security 43:26: Future Prospects 47:48: Quickfire Questions Resources: DoD Contracts for Startups 101: https://a16z.com/dod-contracting-for-startups-101/ Find Justin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinfanelli/ Find Leila on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilahay/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
SPEAKERS
Justin Fanelli
guestChief Technology Officer for the Department of the Navy (Navy and Marine Corps).
Alex Miller
guestCTO for the Chief of Staff of the Army; former science and technology advisor for Army G-2.
Steph Smith
hosta16z host and interviewer who moderates the discussion and frames questions from a venture perspective.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of a16z, featuring Justin Fanelli and Alex Miller, Can the Military Move at Startup Speed? How the Army and Navy Are Rebuilding explores army and Navy CTOs Plan to Blow Up Acquisition Bureaucracy Army CTO Alex Miller and Navy CTO Justin Fanelli describe the DoD as a black box built on decades-old rules, and say they are working to cut through the bureaucracy rather than keep building workarounds.
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