This week on the All Quiet on the Second Front podcast, host Danielle Mess sat down with an expert panel at the Offset Symposium to discuss how government and industry can better collaborate on innovative technology. Robin Olin from AWS, Dan Garcia from Enterprise DEB, and Eric Sanders from DHS shared insights on overcoming cultural barriers, measuring success, and driving change.
The key to effective partnerships? Establishing trust and a shared vision from day one. “I think it’s a joint understanding from the very beginning of what we want to accomplish,” said Olin. Rather than an adversarial dynamic of rigid requirements, the panelists advocated for an outcomes-based approach.
“Default to talking first about outcomes and trying to deliver based on that. Be less prescriptive about how, just give me the what and the why and when you need it. And let’s partner on that upfront.”
Embedding security teams with developers was another key recommendation. This allows for educated risk management rather than risk avoidance which slows innovation to a crawl. Of course, that cultural shift requires top-down support. Leaders need to incentivize smart risk-taking and rapid iteration.
The panel also stressed the importance of instrumentation and telemetry to understand system components and impacts. This allows for clearer communication around risks and value, tailored to the audience. Quantitative models for some, business-centric storytelling for others.
From a policy perspective, the speakers saw an opportunity in allowing operation and maintenance (O&M) funds to be used for modernization. Standardizing security requirements across agencies and countries could also grease the wheels. But the biggest unlock could come from the government signaling clear demand and addressable markets for innovative solutions.
“If you’re going to enforce those standards, then make sure that there is an addressable market for these companies to bring their products to, and that they can rapidly be acquired.”
In the end, progress comes down to communication and partnership. A shared language. Collaborative solution definition. And a compelling business case for leadership to invest in change. With the right stakeholders at the table, government and industry can start to move past outdated paradigms and deliver real impact.
For more insights, listen to the full episode of All Quiet on the Second Front wherever you get your podcasts. And to learn how Second Front is accelerating government access to innovative technology, visit secondfront.com.
