Summary
Small businesses, not the big defense primes, are where the Department of Defense is looking for its next breakthrough. Here’s how to get noticed, and how to be ready when you do.
In this entrepreneur interview, Chip Laingen breaks down what it really takes for a small business or startup to sell to the government. Chip is executive director of the Defense Alliance, a 21-year Navy veteran, and has advised defense-tech companies for two decades.
In This Episode:
✅ Why the DoD is turning to small-business innovation
✅ Navigating government contracting as a startup
✅ Teaming with partners to leverage past performance
✅ Preparing for a five-minute pitch with a buyer
✅ Technology readiness vs. business readiness
✅ OTAs and Defense Production Act funding
✅ Servant leadership lessons from the Navy
⏱️ Chapters:
0:38 Introduction
1:13 From Navy helicopter pilot to defense contracting
4:26 How the Defense Alliance helps small businesses
5:47 Why selling to the government isn’t logical
8:42 Leveraging partnerships and past performance
10:30 How to prepare for a five-minute pitch with a buyer
12:36 Servant leadership lessons from the Navy
16:34 What it takes to build a defense innovation cluster
19:09 Technology readiness vs. business readiness
21:02 How defense procurement is changing: speed and scale
22:47 How one startup got a $50M factory funded
24:19 Advice to his younger self
25:54 How to connect with the Defense Alliance
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About Chip Laingen:
Chip Laingen is executive director of the Defense Alliance, an SBA-funded regional innovation cluster. It helps small businesses navigate defense contracting at no cost, and it has members in 38 states.
Join free at https://www.defensealliance.com/
Connect with Chip – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laingen/
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