Bob Burton’s Post

"We will transform iteratively and continuously to become leaner, more mobile, lower signature and, most importantly, more lethal. We will integrate technology faster, pushing new, cost-effective technologies into our operational units as soon as they are useful. We want our tactical units to innovate, test ideas, fail fast, and adapt. The best ideas often come from the bottom up." For innovation to work in the US Army, those of us at senior levels need to look at how we develop and empower those at the tactical edge. As John Cogbill wrote in a previous article, innovation in the Army needs to come from the top-down and the ground up. I would add that our top-down innovation needs to be less telling our warfighters what they need and more innovating in pushing resources, education, research and development, and the ability to have a voice to the lowest level. If they are the start-ups, we seniors are the VCs. The mentors, the investors, the incubators who can take those ideas and requirements, guide and shape them for success, and scale across the enterprise. The team that came together in this article tells us just how to do that. To Chris Aliperti, Christopher Flournoy, Rickey Royal, PMP, Arwen DeCostanza, Cody Clevenger, R. Clayton McVay, and Jim Armstrong, thanks for providing your voices on this very important subject. #ArmyInnovation Army Futures Command #ArmyTalentInnovation https://lnkd.in/eFtzwKmK

Cultural barriers are still pain and hamper progress! This is the same for US and European Forces. To decrease the time to soldier, the DoDs need to change their culture. Embrace innovation! Most transformational projects and programs need a proper (cultural) change aspect to become successful. The same is valid for large organizations, which want to stay relevant. The attached article underlines this and other aspects. Need for Innovation: The US defense strategy must prioritize innovation to keep pace with potential adversaries Cultural Barriers: The DOD still faces cultural barriers, including risk aversion and a focus on rigid processes rather than results Incentives for Creativity: The current system often punishes failure rather than rewarding creativity and adaptability #getthefutureyouwant #softwaredefineddefense René Schlepphorst Martin Karkour Marc Akkermann Dr. Benjamin Schulte

Please take a read through an oped I wrote with my friend Joseph Mariani of Deloitte's Center for Government Insights, published today in Crain's. For Chicago's regional economy and the Midwest, we benefit from more actively participating in the American defense industrial base and contributing to efforts to modernize the U.S. military. I believe in the value of American leadership in technology -- and everyone right, left, and center should too, in my judgement. With the Frontier Mission Network, we are trying to build a unified process to license technologies from research labs, develop new technologies with federal grant funding, identify commercial and defense uses of new technologies, and build solutions that answer American national security imperatives, all within a fast-moving lab-to-product chain centered in our region.

The average Generative AI budget for U.S. Federal Government and National Defense agencies are expected to increase by 35% this year.  Access insights into technology spending, digital investment goals, and strategies to boost mission readiness in 2025. #GartnerIT #PublicSector #CIOAgenda

I won’t pretend to know more than the former head of DIU. However, I do think this is a bit over-simplistic in describing a very complex world of process. For example, RDTE dollars - as a metric - can mean a lot of different things. When you fail to account for that fact, you are left to be disappointed by the rest of the process storyline. Lest we begin to tie things like purpose and duration of funding (by-color) and the perverse incentives set up there to be mis-characterized. Don’t forget, creating new organizations may focus folks, but it may not fundamentally alter anything in reality behind the scenes in a bureaucracy as big as DoD. Could be a blessing or a curse, depending where you stand. Differences ARE made by solid leaders in each of these organizations. My definition of “solid” involves leaders who pull good ideas through / around processes by exception to score key wins. Of course that is highly subjective based on whether you won or lost, but the point being is exceptions can occur. Just not at scale like desired in the article. Curiously, and separately, I don’t see small UAS being “real R&D” so I’m confused by the author’s points. It’s more 6.4+ tech at this point. That is bread and butter ASA ALT lane in the Army despite being colored RDTE, you’ve already crossed the valley at that point. Perhaps there is nuance there I didn’t see, but I feel like genuine lab work is confused for prototyping here (again both colored in RDTE funding).

The average Generative AI budget for U.S. Federal Government and National Defense agencies are expected to increase by 35% this year.  Access insights into technology spending, digital investment goals, and strategies to boost mission readiness in 2025. #GartnerIT #PublicSector #CIOAgenda

Couldn’t agree with you more Adam Rentschler. There are many reasons why Bonnie Evangelista and her team have received this award. Like any great team, their passion outweighs the pain of facing all the non-believers on this road less traveled. Below I’ve outlined what I’ve seen thus far and what others can take away and apply to their journey as well. 🚀They hit the ground running and canvased the community looking for early adopters and created a coalition of believers before the platform went live. 🚀They used non-traditional methods and means to connect to industry. 🚀Their intrapreneuerial spirit is a driving force of their success. 🚀Most importantly Bonnie Evangelista’s belief to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s against the grain allowed others to follow in her foot steps. 🚀 They increased the literacy of our leaders which will allow them to pivot before the problem and use the platform. I hope everyone is watching. This is leadership and this is the future. This is more than an award but recognition of the principles, systems, structure and standards necessary to apply to whatever it is the rest of government is working on. #BurnTheBoats #COGD #IYKYK

The average Generative AI budget for U.S. Federal Government and National Defense agencies are expected to increase by 35% this year.  Access insights into technology spending, digital investment goals, and strategies to boost mission readiness in 2025. #GartnerIT #PublicSector #CIOAgenda

The average Generative AI budget for U.S. Federal Government and National Defense agencies are expected to increase by 35% this year.  Access insights into technology spending, digital investment goals, and strategies to boost mission readiness in 2025. #GartnerIT #PublicSector #CIOAgenda

The average Generative AI budget for U.S. Federal Government and National Defense agencies are expected to increase by 35% this year.  Access insights into technology spending, digital investment goals, and strategies to boost mission readiness in 2025. #GartnerIT #PublicSector