Q&A with H4D Alumnae Megan Lacy: Common Mission Project / H4D 5 Years On

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the first Hacking for Defense (H4D) course at Stanford University.  In this LinkedIn Q&A, H4D alumnae Megan Lacy, co-founder and co-CEO of Boise-based Lumineye, a company building through-wall sensors to help first responders and soldiers detect people through walls, looks back at the impact Common Mission Project and H4D has had on her career.

Megan and her class at Boise State University were tasked with identifying humans via radio frequencies for U.S. Special Operations Command.  Through the interview process, Megan’s team discovered that users needed better information during a blind breach situation.  Service members and first responders wanted to know what or who was on the other side of a wall before entering a structure.  Ultimately, after the class ended, Megan and her co-founders Corbin and Rob created Lumineye and launched a commercial product based on the information they received from users through Hacking for Defense.

What about H4D captured your interest and inspired you to participate?

Megan: I have a user-centered design background and H4D looked like a great way to apply my knowledge to a new area.  When I went through H4D in 2017, user-centered design was already commonplace in the consumer space.  First responders and the military were focused much more on technological viability and ruggedization than ease of use.  I was excited that Common Mission Project and H4D gave me an opportunity to work in an area where there was so much potential for improvement.  I also have two brothers in the Army and was happy to help Soldiers like them with a problem they were facing. 

What was your experience in the program?

Megan: We spent a lot of time talking to users.  Most of the people on my team had prior experience with the Business Model Canvas, which is a strategic management tool to guide new business models and helped with transitioning to the Mission Model Canvas.  This allowed us to talk to over 120 operators, commanders, and first responders throughout the class.  We learned quickly that although the mission sets of different first responder groups and military groups varied, their core problems didn’t change.  During our class, we also built relationships with users and subject matter experts, which we still have today.  I think since we were affiliated with Common Mission Project and a university, users were more comfortable and more willing to share their stories with us. 

What change were you able to affect? 

Megan: Initially, we were able to give some of the users hope they were being listened to. We gave them a chance to think through and articulate their problems.  As we started to prototype and ultimately launch a commercial product, we’ve been able to show users we are implementing their feedback and are truly dedicated to finding solutions to help them stay safe.  Because we’ve established this trust, many of our users are very open with us and give valuable feedback and referrals to other groups we should work with. 

What change did the program affect on you?

Megan: Going through H4D totally changed my life.  My co-founders and I ended up starting a company after the class ended.  At the time, I was planning on moving back to the Northeast and work in the consumer space after I finished my master’s degree.  Instead, I stayed in Boise, discontinued my master’s, and have been working on Lumineye ever since.  I am now co-CEO at Lumineye and have learned an extraordinary amount about everything from manufacturing and ruggedization to invoicing and paying business taxes.

How do you think Common Mission Project’s problem-solving approach can impact society’s ability to address complex problems?

Common Mission Project’s approach allows people with varied backgrounds to work on complex problems.  Without Common Mission Project, a group of non-military veteran students, like our team, would be unlikely to focus on a mission set like through-wall sensing.  Some of the greatest innovations have come from people looking at long standing problems in a new way. The Common Mission Project and H4D program specifically gives people from various backgrounds the opportunity and flexibility to approach a problem from a different angle.  They are able to focus on user requirements over everything else.  I think this approach can be applied to other focus areas outside of the Department of Defense to get unique perspectives on complex problems.