Investing in What Matters
The Pentagon's kill chain is too slow for modern conflict. Here's why that bottleneck is one of the most compelling investment theses in defense tech right now.
S. VanceSkipping CFIUS review isn't a shortcut, it's a time bomb. Here's what actually happens to defense startups that get caught.
S. VanceDefense tech compliance isn't just overhead, it's a durable moat. Here's how the best startups weaponize regulatory burden to lock out competitors.
S. VanceQuantum sensing is quietly outpacing quantum computing as a near-term defense bet. Here's why investors are still sleeping on it.
S. VanceDefense tech founders and investors fixate on IPOs, but the real exit math in this sector looks very different. Here's what the data and experience actually say.
S. VanceAllied nation co-investment in U.S. defense tech startups offers real capital and market access, but the CFIUS exposure and export control risks can quietly kill a deal.
S. VanceClassified contracts feel like validation, but for early-stage defense startups, they can quietly strangle the company before it ever scales.
S. VanceThe Valley of Death isn't a funding gap, it's a sequencing problem. Here's what it actually costs defense tech startups to cross it.
S. VanceA practical guide to defense contracting vehicles, OTAs, SBIRs, and BAAs, and how founders should think about each one strategically.
S. VanceDeep tech hardware startups waste millions on premature scaling due to flawed validation approaches that ignore physical constraints.
S. VanceWhy traditional tech recruiting strategies don't work for defense startups and what actually does.
S. VanceWhy traditional product-market fit theory breaks down in defense tech and what successful startups do instead.
S. VanceDefense software failures aren't about technology, they're about incentive misalignment between contractors, buyers, and users.
S. VanceWhy dual-use tech companies dominate defense venture returns and how to spot the real winners from the pretenders.
S. VanceDefense contractors make poor strategic investors for startups despite deep pockets, here's why and what founders should prioritize instead.
S. VanceSBIR grants fund early R&D. Venture capital funds scale. The gap between them is where defense tech startups go to die.
S. VanceThe venture capital playbook optimized for SaaS does not work in defense. Firms that do not adapt keep losing money or missing opportunities.
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