Guest’s Blog

Are you financially ready to mobilize on your contract award?

Winning the contract is one thing. Having the funding and financial plan to actually deliver is entirely different.

We’ve seen too many growing GovCons focus heavily on chasing new business – but wait until it’s almost too late to figure out whether they have the cash and resources to actually perform at the highest level.

Why So Many GovCons Are Financially Unprepared

Most small business owners are skilled functional operators with a vision – and the courage, ingenuity, and work ethic to back it up. But with varying levels of business know-how, they dive headfirst into one of the most unique and evergreen markets in the world: the United States federal marketplace.

Many talented new businesses tend to win work very quickly – but find out equally as quickly that additional work doesn’t necessarily lead to profitability.

This is an epidemic for less experienced GovCons, and it’s a big reason thousands of businesses never make it beyond 3 years. Being good – or even great – at what you do isn’t enough to carry a sustainable business. You also need a solid business foundation:

• Scalable growth plans
• Access to capital at each stage of growth
• Airtight compliance inside and out
• Strong staffing

No one hands you a guidebook when you register your new business. And in the constantly changing world of government and industry, it can feel like trying to change tires while the car’s going 70 down the highway.

Should you be discouraged? Absolutely not – acknowledgement is the best first step toward making a positive change…

4 Steps to Close the GovCon Financial Knowledge Gap

So how do you bridge the gap between what you think you know and what you don’t know, without driving your business the wrong way down the interstate?

1. Ask questions. To everyone. Other business owners, resource providers, contracting officers, small business liaisons, Apex Accelerator counselors, local SBA representatives.
2. Ask for help. Join organizations that put you in a room with other business leaders who know your pain and have walked ahead of you on the same path. Meet as many people in the industry as you can. Find the ones you admire, and ask if they would mentor you.
   Reminder: The sooner you’re okay with not knowing everything, the faster you learn the skills to improve your business!
3. Never be the smartest person in the room. And if you are… Go find a better room! Ego limits you, and it will stop you from learning from people who know what you don’t. If you never expand beyond what you know today, your growth stalls (and so does your business’s profitability!)
4. Build a financial plan. For every stage of growth. What you have access to today will change… Where will you go to access the funds you’ll need to continue growing your business tomorrow?

One final tip:

Parabilis proudly connects our network to a trusted ecosystem of resources and service providers. Whatever your business needs, we can introduce you to partners who’ve been where you are and know how to guide you forward.

Our founders have walked the same path, faced the same challenges, and know what it takes to reach the success you’ve envisioned. We’re here to be your conduit for growth – so your business can live up to your vision.

Federal Procurement Is Changing. Here’s How Contractors Can Prepare

By Thomas Barrow

The federal procurement system is entering a period of significant transition. In April, the Trump Administration launched what could become the most sweeping set of acquisition policy changes since the creation of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in 1984. With new executive orders rolling out at a rapid clip, government contractors across the country are navigating unfamiliar terrain.

Yet amid the headlines and proposed reforms, certain fundamentals remain. Contractors who understand both the enduring legal structure and the shifting priorities of the moment will be best positioned to thrive.

What’s Not Going Anywhere

While executive orders can influence procurement policy, they can’t override federal statutes. That means contractors can count on several pillars of the system to hold firm:

• Federal buying power remains strong. The U.S. government is still the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services. Despite budget cuts in some areas, proposed increases in defense and homeland security spending for FY 2026 suggest steady or even growing demand in key sectors.
• Payment rights are protected. Even when programs are downsized or contracts are terminated, longstanding laws such as the Antideficiency Act and the Contract Disputes Act safeguard contractors’ rights to fair compensation. If you’ve delivered value and incurred costs, you’re entitled to get paid.
• Competition stays central. The Competition in Contracting Act ensures that full and open competition remains the standard procurement approach, with only limited exceptions. Competitive bidding will stay the rule, not the exception.
• Small business mandates remain intact. Agencies must continue to meet federal small business contracting goals. While the Administration recently lowered targets for certain categories, it cannot dip below the statutory minimums set by Congress. That means small businesses will still find meaningful opportunities in the federal space.

What’s in Flux

Still, contractors should brace for short-term disruption and a potentially bumpy road ahead. Key changes underway include:

• Push for commercial solutions. New directives emphasize buying off-the-shelf products and services that already exist in the commercial marketplace. This is good news for companies with dual-use offerings, but may reduce the opportunity for highly specialized contractors whose services don’t translate outside the federal space.
• Plans to streamline the FAR. The Administration has tasked the Office of Management and Budget with eliminating any FAR provisions not explicitly grounded in law. The result may be a leaner “FAR 2.0,” but also one that lacks many familiar guidelines. Until new practices are established, contractors and contracting officers alike may face uncertainty about how to proceed.
• Greater scrutiny on performance and sourcing. In the name of saving money and streamlining procurement, agencies are expected to tighten their oversight. Add in new priorities around domestic sourcing, and contractors should be prepared for more audits, tighter cost controls, and heightened program evaluations.

How Contractors Can Respond

Now is not the time for a “wait and see” approach. Contractors who take proactive steps today will be more resilient tomorrow.

1. Double down on compliance. If your organization has grown accustomed to steady rules and predictable processes, this is a good moment to refresh your compliance framework. Staying current on regulatory developments – and documenting your performance carefully – will pay dividends in this new environment.
2. Prepare for early exits. If the government ends your contract for convenience, you’re entitled to reimbursement for allowable costs, including profit on work performed. Know how to prepare a Termination Settlement Proposal and keep detailed records of your progress and expenses.
3. Review contract modifications carefully. Not all changes are non-negotiable. Some require your agreement and can trigger compensation adjustments. If a modification alters the scope of work or delivery timelines, don’t assume you must accept it without questioning. Know your rights and assert them when appropriate.
4. Stay in dialogue with your contracting officers. Agencies are interpreting these changes in real time. By maintaining open communication with your government counterparts, you can clarify expectations, identify risks early, and remain a trusted vendor in uncertain times.

Final Thoughts

Federal contracting may be shifting, but the government’s mission continues – and that means opportunity for those prepared to meet it. By balancing awareness of statutory protections with agile responses to policy reform, contractors can navigate uncertainty and emerge stronger on the other side. The landscape may be changing, but with foresight and flexibility, contractors across the country can help shape the future.

Blog Post for GovCon Unscripted
June 11, 2025
Author: Noura Bashshur
[email protected]

What separates today’s growth leaders isn’t volume—it’s velocity, powered by
insight.

Federal procurement is shifting. Agencies are moving faster, bypassing traditional RFP
processes, and rewarding early alignment over late-stage compliance. In this new
environment, success isn’t defined by how well a company responds after an
opportunity appears—it’s defined by how early they engage, how precisely they
interpret agency intent, and how quickly they adapt as conditions evolve.

This shift marks the arrival of a new operating standard: the Intelligence Agility Era .

Three Conditions Now Define Competitive Positioning

1. Procurement Speed Has Outpaced Traditional Readiness
Federal buying cycles are compressing. Vehicles like OTAs and CSOs move
outside traditional timelines and can bypass open competition entirely.
Opportunities that once unfolded over quarters now take shape in weeks,
frequently before formal requirements are written.

2. Selection Is Moving from Compliance to Confidence
Agencies are prioritizing partners that reinforce mission objectives and reduce
risk. Evaluation decisions increasingly favor contractors who demonstrate
alignment, in content, timing, approach, and posture.

3. AI Is Separating the Strategic from the Reactive
The most advanced teams are using AI to make upstream intelligence
actionable. It’s not about speed for speed’s sake—it’s about speed to relevance.
AI is surfacing signal, integrating stakeholder insights, and structuring capture
input into response strategies that support agency priorities in real time.

Why Legacy Approaches Are Being Replaced

Traditional workflows were designed around a predictable cycle: opportunity forecast,
RFP release, compliance-driven response. They assumed that clarity began with the
RFP and that proposals were a downstream product of finalized requirements.

That model is no longer sufficient.

Opportunities have always been shaped before the RFP arrives. In many cases, by the
time the solicitation is issued, direction, intent, and even partner preferences have
already taken form, but the rhythm and pace

At the same time, the increased use of OTA and CSO methods has introduced a
second track for federal growth—one that operates outside the FAR, often by invitation
only. These pathways prioritize speed, flexibility, and solution alignment over
documentation.

To compete effectively, growth teams must operationalize two distinct response
pathways :
● A structured RFP pathway that follows familiar rules and timelines
● An “always-on” agility pathway where relevance must be demonstrated
continuously to earn early access

Most organizations are built for the former. Only a few are equipped to execute the latter
at scale.

Operationalizing the “Always-On” Pathway

The “always-on” pathway is not a mindset—it’s an operating model. It requires new
systems, behaviors, and tools that allow teams to act decisively in conditions that are
fluid, fast-moving, and often incomplete.

Leading contractors are building five core capabilities to support this shift:

1. Signal Monitoring as a Strategic Function
Agencies telegraph intent long before requirements appear. The most effective
teams treat early indicators—from policy memos to leadership shifts—as
actionable intelligence, not background noise.

2. Pre-RFP Framing and Influence
Agile teams don’t wait to be asked. They engage early, introduce relevant
insight, and shape how problems are defined—often increasing their likelihood of
being invited to participate in OTA or CSO pathways.

3. Integrated BD, Capture, and Proposal Functions
In the traditional model, handoffs dominate. In the agility model, these functions
operate in sync—sharing signal, refining strategy, and collaborating around a
shared definition of how to win.

4. Infrastructure That Supports Incomplete Information
Legacy tools assume full requirements. Modern systems must accommodate
ambiguity—turning early inputs into flexible narratives that evolve as
opportunities mature.

5. Decision Logic Tuned for Risk and Speed
Fast-moving environments require a different approach to pursuit decisions.
Instead of binary go/no-go reviews gated by formal RFP release, agile teams use
phased pursuit models—engaging lightly where signal is strong, escalating as
clarity improves. They evaluate the cost of waiting just as seriously as the cost of
being early. This reframes risk not as exposure, but as missed opportunity to
shape outcomes while the door is still open.

AI as Strategic Infrastructure, Not a Speed Tool

Artificial intelligence is often misunderstood as a tool to accelerate writing. But its true
value lies in how it enables faster, smarter alignment across the entire
capture-to-response lifecycle.

Leading teams are leveraging AI not just to draft—but to synthesize. They use it to:
● Detect patterns across past awards, forecasts, and account behavior
● Fuse intelligence from BD, capture, and SMEs into structured decision logic
● Generate preliminary framing strategies based on incomplete but directional data

AI that is trained to support strategic alignment—rather than just automate
output—becomes a force multiplier. It ensures that the insight gathered across the
organization is usable, traceable, and aligned with how the agency is likely to evaluate
success.

This turns AI from a writing assistant into the backbone of readiness.

What Dual-Path Execution Looks Like in Practice

Building dual-path capability doesn’t mean doubling team size. It means designing for
fluidity.

High-performing organizations are rethinking how work is distributed, how decisions are
made, and how pursuit infrastructure is activated. In practice, this often includes:

● Standing up flexible “pursuit cells” that can spin up early shaping activity based
on weak signals
● Embedding capture strategists within BD teams to ensure continuous alignment
● Shifting gate reviews from compliance scoring to opportunity design and impact
framing
● Deploying modular content libraries and AI frameworks that adapt positioning as
clarity improves

In this model, the response function begins well before the writing team is
engaged—and strategy isn’t delayed by structure. The result is faster orientation, more
credible influence, and tighter alignment across every procurement track.

The Outcome

This isn’t about abandoning structure. It’s about building dual-path fluency : the ability
to navigate the traditional procurement cycle with rigor, and the ability to operate with
agility when opportunities demand speed, insight, and early positioning.

The companies that master both are not only winning more—they’re shaping the terms
of competition. They’re showing up earlier, aligning more tightly, and delivering
proposals that don’t just comply—they compel.

Micro Engagement Strategies for GovCon Success

Guest Post by Judy Bradt, Summit Insight

You finally get a federal buyer on the phone. Maybe it’s someone you’ve worked with before. The conversation is warm — even promising. And then they say:

“We’re good right now but stay in touch.”

If you’re like most contractors, your heart sinks. You don’t want to pester them. You don’t want to fade away, either. But you also don’t want to sit back and hope that “staying in touch” turns into something more.

Here’s the thing:

That callback was a win.

They remembered you. They still like you enough to take your call. That’s more than most vendors ever get.

Now what?

This is where most businesses stall — not because they’re bad at what they do, but because they don’t know how to stay relevant without being a nuisance.

That’s where micro engagement comes in.

What Is Micro Engagement (and Why It Works)?

Micro engagement is what you do between the asks. These small, intentional touchpoints keep you on the radar without being overbearing. They’re relationship moves, not sales pitches.

These touches work because federal buyers — like all humans — are more likely to remember and trust the people who consistently make their day better. Share something useful, help them look good, make their job a little easier? That’s a dopamine hit. A positive memory.

Done well and done consistently, micro engagement builds the kind of trust federal buyers need — because they’re under pressure to make the safest possible decision.

For more on the neuroscience of trust-building and how it applies in federal sales, read:

🔗 How Federal Wins Begin: Three Steps That Create Trust

Why Micro Engagement Matters in Q4 (and Every Quarter)

You might think micro engagement is a Q4 tactic. It’s not. It’s a year-round strategy:

• Q1 is for reconnecting after the reset.
• Q2 & Q3 are for building trust.
• Q4 is when that groundwork pays off.

If you’ve been showing up with relevance all year long, Q4 isn’t stressful — it’s productive. And if you’re just getting started now?

The best time to plant the seed was last quarter.
The second-best time is today.

📈 Want a roadmap? Check out the Close It In Q4 – Ten Moves You Can’t Skips – Infographic

When There’s No Opportunity, Make the Relationship the Win

No RFP? No problem. You’re not selling — you’re building credibility.

Buyers don’t remember pitches.
They remember how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou said it best:

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Here’s a set of micro engagement moves – and field ratings! These are based on real feedback from a recently-retired senior acquisition professional and how they’d respond to a vendor who did this.
🔥 Hot They loved this!     🌞 Warm They liked this a lot.

🔥 “Saw This and Thought of You”

Share a relevant article, memo, or resource that aligns with their agency’s mission.
Rating: 🔥🔥 “Love that! Shows you’re paying attention.”

🧗‍♀️ Offer a Free Event Invite

Many buyers are isolated — professionally and geographically. When policies permit, invite them to no-cost, relevant industry events. Bonus if it’s unexpected and fun. Example in the DC area: GovCon Rockstars’ climbing socials — your first visit is free!

😀 Make a Useful Introduction

Put them in touch with someone who can help — even if it’s not you.
Rating: 🌞“Valuable, as long as there’s no sales pressure.”

🎉 Celebrate a Win

Notice and acknowledge a promotion or contract award.
Rating: 🔥 “We all like to be celebrated!”

Help Them Make a Difference

Signal-boost content they’ve written or causes they care about (with permission).
Rating: 🔥 to 🌞 “We want to make an impact.”

📈 Share a “Pass-Along” Tool

Send something that helps them shine in front of leadership — a case study, cheat sheet, or short-form success story.
Rating: 🌞 “Don’t send me the same thing you’ve already sent ten times!”

What Micro Engagement Is Not

Micro engagement isn’t:

• A disguised “just checking in” email
• A recycled newsletter blast
• A timed drip campaign with no thought

If it’s not personal, it’s not engagement. It’s clutter.

The golden rule: If you wouldn’t open it, don’t send it.

The MicroEngagement Challenge

👉 Download the MicroEngagement Momentum Moves Checklist

Try this:

🎯 Pick one federal buyer who recently said, “We’re good for now.”
📌 Look at your Players and Layers® map.
💡 Choose 3–5 micro engagement moves that fit their role, mission, and personality.

Rinse and repeat! Do this as a team challenge – maybe over a working lunch. BONUS: You’ll get lots of fresh ideas that can be tweaked and customized to make them unique for different people in similar roles or “layers.”

This is the work that builds trust before the opportunity hits the street.

It’s not mass marketing. It’s bottom-of-the-funnel nurture.
And it’s where most businesses fall short — or fail to start.

Ready to Break Through?

Staying top of mind doesn’t mean weekly follow-ups.
It means showing up with relevance and value — consistently, quietly, confidently.

That’s the magic of micro engagement.

Find out more in the GovCon Unscripted episode with Chelsea Meggitt and Judy Bradt.

It’s the heartbeat of my Players and Layers® methodology:
Turning contacts into champions, and champions into contracts.

Need help tailoring your moves?
👉 Watch “Five Focus Strategies for GovCon Growth” (Free On-Demand Webinar)

Or take the next step and apply for a
👉 Federal Business Breakthrough Session

In 30 minutes, we’ll:

• Clarify your federal growth goals
• Identify what’s slowing you down
• Map your next 3 best micro engagement moves

📞 Have questions? Reach out: [email protected] or (703) 627-1074

GOTS Is the Most Expensive Vendor You’ll Ever Hire by J.L. Hancock

When we talk about vendor lock, images dance of a defense prime firm chaining the government to proprietary code and perpetual licensing. But what if the real lock doesn’t come from Silicon Valley—but from inside the building? Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) software, often seen as the “safe” or “secure” alternative to commercial tech, may be the most expensive and inflexible vendor of them all. The catch? You’re also the one funding it.

GOTS: Custom-Built… and Locked Down

GOTS software is tailored for the government, by the government—built from the ground up to meet specific mission needs. This may sound ideal, but the reality is far more complex.

GOTS development is slow, expensive, and deeply siloed. It often results in single-agency solutions that are difficult to scale, hard to integrate, and expensive to maintain. With no commercial incentive to innovate and no competition to keep costs in check, GOTS becomes a self-funded monopoly with no exit strategy. Once an agency adopts a GOTS platform, it owns every update, every patch, and every integration. That’s vendor lock—in house.

And the numbers back it up. According to the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation, GOTS programs cost up to 70% more than comparable COTS solutions. That’s a massive overhead to absorb just to “own” your own problems.

COTS: Not Perfect, but Market-Tested

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software isn’t without its risks. It may not meet every mission-specific requirement out of the box, and it does tie agencies to external vendors for support and upgrades. But it also benefits from economies of scale, faster development cycles, and a wider talent pool. Importantly, COTS vendors have a market incentive to stay current with interoperability standards and user needs—or lose business.

COTS solutions can align with government priorities—if standards are enforced. Through the use of open APIs, modular architectures, and clear integration protocols, agencies can still achieve security and interoperability without reinventing the wheel.

The Real Problem: The Government Doesn’t Enforce Standards—Because It Can’t

One of the core reasons the government struggles to implement a standards-driven approach is simple: it often lacks the in-house technical subject matter expertise needed to define, maintain, and enforce those standards.

Rather than building this expertise from scratch across each agency or program, the government should be leveraging national laboratories—centers of deep scientific and engineering expertise—to lead standards development and provide authoritative technical guidance. These labs are already doing this work in areas like energy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. It’s time to apply that model to defense and government-wide digital infrastructure.

Follow the Model: IEEE, 3GPP, and the Benevolent Dictator

To break out of this cycle, the government should adopt a standards model similar to IEEE or the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), where:

• Working groups explore, test, and iterate emerging technical standards in open forums.
• A benevolent dictator model—where a respected, technically proficient lead authority finalizes standards—is used to avoid decision paralysis.
• Formal publications define conformance criteria, integration protocols, and naming conventions.
• Ongoing revision cycles allow the standards to evolve in coordination with technological advancements and emerging threats.

These standards would then be referenced in Broad Area Announcements (BAAs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and acquisition guidelines—shifting the default from “build it ourselves” to “comply with universal rules.”

When GOTS Does Make Sense

Despite its flaws, GOTS has a valid role—especially in highly isolated, national security-specific programs where the government is the only customer and commercial innovation is unlikely. One clear example is nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) systems. These environments demand extreme security, have limited commercial applicability, and require decades-long lifecycle stability. In such cases, the commercial market lacks the incentive or expertise to meet the mission—so the GOTS model works.

But these are the exceptions, not the rule. The vast majority of military and civilian software needs—from training systems to logistics platforms—can and should be addressed through modular, standards-compliant, commercially informed solutions.

Standards Are the Strategy

GOTS may feel like control—but it’s often costly stagnation. COTS may seem risky—but it’s how most of the world innovates. The real way forward is standards—interoperable, testable, and universally adopted.

By empowering national labs to help create them, adopting tested governance models like IEEE and 3GPP, and enforcing standards through the acquisition process, the government can avoid the lock-in trap—whether commercial or self-inflicted.

Don’t own the stack. Own the rules. That’s how you build systems that evolve.

From Vacuums to Vision: A Blueprint for Career Transition
By Mark Wigginton, MS, LPC, BCC

I’ve reinvented my career more times than I can count.

From selling vacuum cleaners’ door to door to coaching GovCon professionals through their next chapter.

From delivering daily intelligence briefs to Air Force command staff to leading international workshops.

From therapist to sales pro to midlife transition coach.

Some might see a winding path. I see a pattern anchored by one constant: the ability to connect through clear, purposeful communication.

That one skill, and the strengths beneath it, carried me through every transition. And I now help others uncover their skills as they face their next chapter.

Midlife Isn’t a Crisis. It’s a Crossroads.

For many in the GovCon space, midlife doesn’t arrive with a meltdown, it arrives with a question:

“What’s next?”

You’ve achieved a lot. You’ve built expertise in highly structured environments, mastered compliance-driven roles, and navigated the proposal grind. But maybe the contract ended. Maybe there was a sudden change in your agency. Maybe the spark is gone. Maybe you’re wondering whether it’s time to shift.

That’s not failure, it’s transition.

And the first step isn’t to rewrite your resume. It’s to own your story.

Step One: Reclaim your transferable skills.

People often ask me how to “pivot” careers. I ask them to start with a different question:

What’s the thread that’s always been there, whether or not you got paid for it?

In my case, it was communication. I could sell products, brief military leaders, or teach life skills to incarcerated men because I know how to connect and convey ideas in a way that made people listen and believe.

That’s a transferable skill.

It’s not tied to a job title. It’s tied to me.

If you’re reading this from within the GovCon space, wondering whether you’re “qualified” for something new, I can almost guarantee you’re underestimating how transferable your skills really are.

Even when I didn’t realize it, communication was always my through-line. It’s what opened doors, built trust, and helped me reinvent.

It’s what carried me from lugging a vacuum cleaner door-to-door in my 1971 Datsun to building teams that supported multi-billion dollar government pursuits. From brown bag presentations to podcast interviews. And from job seeker to coach.

Step Two: Apply it in new contexts.

That same skill, communication, eventually carried me into the world of government contracting.

While I wasn’t deep inside the federal system, I often found myself supporting those who were: proposal writers, capture managers, BD professionals, and GovCon consultants navigating change.

To deepen my own understanding and credibility, I joined the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) and earned two industry-recognized certifications:

• APMP Bid/Proposal Practitioner: Demonstrating mastery in best practices and leading others in producing compliant, compelling proposals.
• APMP Capture Practitioner: Focused on the early phases of the pursuit; coordinating strategy, opportunity shaping, and positioning to win.

These certifications didn’t just sharpen my knowledge; they showed me how transferable my background really was. Communication, strategic thinking, stakeholder management. Skills I had honed elsewhere were exactly what this world needed.

Step Three: Name your strengths.

There’s a difference between what you can do and what energizes you. That difference is where strengths come in.

I use tools like the VIA Character Strengths (VIA) survey to help clients recognize their natural ways of showing up in the world.

Over the years, I’ve taken the VIA many times. Often at a turning point. What changed wasn’t just the results, but how clearly, they reflected what I needed at that moment to grow and move forward.

During my early to mid-career, I was still finding my voice.

Creativity, Wisdom, Humility, Kindness, Love of Learning helped me build trust, adapt quickly, and communicate with empathy in uncertain environments.

My career advanced and I became a top-performing sales consultant supporting business-to government proposal projects.

Creativity, Love, Justice, Social Intelligence, Wisdom helped me build rapport fast, align cross-functional teams, and move proposals forward under pressure.

Today, I’m in the post-midlife stage. I’m at a new beginning.

Gratitude, Perspective, Hope, Social Intelligence, Spirituality bring calm, clarity, and a deeper sense of purpose to how I communicate and coach.

This evolving collection of strengths isn’t a list on a page. It’s an indicator of personal growth.

It’s why I connected with customers as a kid.
Why a single conference talk led to a career breakthrough.
Why I now help others navigate their next move with clarity and compassion.

If transferable skills are what you bring, your strengths are how you bring it.

You already have what you need.

When people ask me how I made it through 20 jobs in 15 years before finding work that truly fit, I don’t say luck.

I say clarity.

Clarity about what I do well.
Clarity about what matters to me.
Clarity about how I want to show up in the world.

If you’re facing a career transition, that clarity is available to you, too.

It’s in your past roles, your unpaid work, your feedback loops, your energizing moments, and even your failures.

Especially your failures.

Try This: Find the thread.

Write down every job or role you’ve ever held, from your first teenage gig to your current one.

Don’t edit. Just list.

Then look for patterns.

What did people thank you for?
When did you feel most alive?
What came easily—when everything else felt hard?

Chances are your future is hidden in those answers.

About the Author

Mark Wigginton, MS, LPC, BCC, is a midlife career coach, licensed professional counselor, and APMP-certified proposal and capture professional. His work spans sales, mental health, federal consulting, and career development. Mark supports clients in the GovCon ecosystem and beyond to identify transferable skills, align strengths, and make confident transitions into what’s next. He writes the Your Next Chapter newsletter and offers coaching at FocusingOnResults.com.

How Startups Can Break into Dual-Use: Lessons from the Field by Tim Balz

For early-stage startups, especially those far from the coasts or outside traditional defense
circles, the idea of working with the government often brings up images of bureaucracy,
slow-moving contracts and mission drift. But for founders looking to build resilient businesses,
the dual-use pathway—where technology serves both commercial and government
markets—offers a valuable and often overlooked growth strategy.

Don’t Dismiss Government Contracts Out of Hand

One of the most common pieces of startup advice is to avoid government contracts entirely.
They’re perceived as slow, complex and incompatible with the pace of a nimble team. However,
this advice doesn’t always hold up. Programs like the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
initiative is specifically structured to support startups, offering both early non-dilutive funding
and a built-in customer base. Some companies even find ways to skip Phase I of the SBIR
process and move directly to Phase II by securing a letter of support from a government
stakeholder. Kalogon, for example, did just that after demonstrating the viability of our
technology to the Air Force. For founders with a working product and a potential government
use case, this accelerated path can bypass a lot of the red tape typically associated with public
sector work.

Leverage Serendipity, but Be Ready to Act

Government engagement doesn’t always come from traditional procurement channels. In
Kalogon’s case, a tech scout from the Air Force happened to visit our co-working space and
saw immediate potential for our smart seating cushion in military aviation. This kind of
serendipitous connection was only possible because the company maintained visibility within
the startup ecosystem and was ready to talk about the broader applications of their
technology. For other founders, this underscores the value of staying active in incubators,
demo days, and industry events, where potential partners, including government reps, may be
quietly looking for solutions. Be open to unexpected opportunities and prepared to act on
them.

Speed Still Wins

Another myth worth challenging is that government work always moves slowly. While certain
procurement processes can be cumbersome, startups that maintain internal agility can still
operate at a high speed. Kalogon managed to fulfill urgent Air Force requests by leveraging its
in-house manufacturing and engineering capabilities. When a pilot asked for a product
modification, we didn’t need months for contract approval—we made the adjustment in days.
This level of responsiveness was only possible because our team maintained control over key
aspects of our product development. For other startups, this is a powerful reminder: owning
your production processes and keeping multidisciplinary teams under one roof can
dramatically improve your ability to serve dual-use markets effectively.

Build Systems That Serve Both Markets

Importantly, companies that succeed in dual use often do so because they solve a problem
that exists in multiple domains. Kalogon’s cushions were originally designed for wheelchair
users, but the underlying challenge—managing long-term seated pressure and
discomfort—also affected military pilots on extended missions. This overlap created a natural
expansion point. Rather than pivoting away from our core mission, we found a parallel
application that reinforced it. Startups should take note: the most compelling dual-use
technologies tend to emerge not from chasing contracts, but instead from solving real,
well-understood problems that transcend industry lines.

Choose Your Investors Wisely

Investor alignment is another important piece of the puzzle. Startups often worry that pursuing
government contracts will raise red flags with venture capitalists who expect rapid growth and
clear exit timelines. In Kalogon’s case, initial investor skepticism gave way to support once they
saw that defense-related R&D was directly improving commercial product quality. This synergy
between public and private sectors can actually enhance investor confidence when it’s clearly
communicated. Founders should be proactive about educating their backers, showing how
government partnerships don’t dilute focus but instead bolster the core business.

Startups should always start with the problem. Technology-first approaches often struggle to
gain traction because they’re solving for novelty rather than necessity. Kalogon’s success
stemmed from addressing a critical health issue for wheelchair users—a challenge with real
stakes and real urgency. When it turned out that military pilots had the same problem, the
transition into defense was authentic, not forced. That authenticity is what wins customers and
contracts, whether they’re in the private sector or the Pentagon. For founders weighing the
leap into dual-use, the message is clear: solve something that matters, stay agile, and don’t be
afraid to engage beyond the usual startup playbook. The opportunities are there—if you’re
ready for them.

Here’s to solving real problems – no matter where they sit.