Innovation Needs Mission Driven Entrepreneurs

By France Hoang and Alex Gallo.

In a world increasingly defined by strategic competition, many argue the next war will be deterred, won, or lost by the country that out innovates today. This reality has led to a flurry of innovation activities within the Department of Defense (DoD).

An assumption within the DoD has been if we focus on finding the coolest tech — the gee-wiz solutions — we will out-innovate the likes of China.

Another assumption has been that entrepreneurs outside the DoD will exclusively service the innovation needs within the DoD.

It is these two, core assumptions that will put the DoD on a path to failure in both building the defense innovation base as well as fully realizing the potential of innovation.  The DoD needs a problem-based method for innovation and entrepreneurs — both inside and outside the US military — to create and carry forward innovative solutions.

Luckily, something interesting is happening to do just that — perhaps at one of the least expected places.

An important experiment in innovation is unfolding at one of the most staid institutions in the US military — West Point. Can West Point cadets solve real-world warfighter problems operating as entrepreneurs?

The West Point Leadership Center and STEDI are engaging in a 2-week, intensive Hacking4Defense (H4D) course. West Point and ROTC cadets are working in multidisciplinary teams to solve among the most critical problems for the US Army — from extending the life of a casualty on the battlefield to communicating in subterranean, urban combat environments where the future wars are likely to unfold.

Through H4D, the cadets are operating as entrepreneurs and applying Silicon Valley innovation techniques — starting with the problem, identifying the root causes of these challenges, and rapidly iterating towards solutions.  Solutions that actually solve a warfighter problem.

During the course, cadets are also getting out of the structured environment of the academy and engaging with start-ups and other entrepreneurs — in New York City and beyond — to understand potential solution pathways for their problems.

At the end of the 2-week H4D course, cadets will present their problem discovery and disruptive solutions to both Army leadership as well as other prominent start-up leaders.

It is this soldier-citizen collaboration that not only represents the future of defense innovation — but also service to the country.

The United States must grow more mission-driven entrepreneurs — both within the US government as well as broader society — to meet our nation’s pressing challenges and solve them.

Because if we don’t, innovation will not be all we lost.

France Hoang is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at boodleAI.
Alex Gallo is the Executive Director of the Common Mission Project.