Over the 20 to 30 meetings I had with early-stage companies and founders, I repeatedly received the same question: “How do we actually get to a program of record, and how fast can we do it?”
This is the most accurate map I’ve seen of how the path to a program of record actually works now. The line I’d underline twice: a requirement without a funded line is still a wish.
One thing I’d add from the capture side: the “convert to production” step is where congressional engagement still matters, and founders rarely plan for it. When we took the AN/PRC-163 and -158 to the Army, the demos and the SOCOM entry got us credibility, but the appropriations-committee briefings got us the line. The PAE can say yes to a class of capability. The Hill still decides whether that yes has money behind it in the year you need it.
Curious how you’d adjust the 50/30/15–20 time split for a company coming in as a sub to a prime versus going direct.
Yeah I would document everything that worked every time we had some success with getting a startup through the door and getting a contract. Not everything but most.
This is the most accurate map I’ve seen of how the path to a program of record actually works now. The line I’d underline twice: a requirement without a funded line is still a wish.
One thing I’d add from the capture side: the “convert to production” step is where congressional engagement still matters, and founders rarely plan for it. When we took the AN/PRC-163 and -158 to the Army, the demos and the SOCOM entry got us credibility, but the appropriations-committee briefings got us the line. The PAE can say yes to a class of capability. The Hill still decides whether that yes has money behind it in the year you need it.
Curious how you’d adjust the 50/30/15–20 time split for a company coming in as a sub to a prime versus going direct.
Yeah I would document everything that worked every time we had some success with getting a startup through the door and getting a contract. Not everything but most.