BRIAN BRISKEY, MBA

Want to talk GTM? Join us on October 2nd at Gasworks Brewing for another round of Seattle Founders GTM. #founders #entrepreneurs #startups #gtm Sign up with the link below.

6

Big thanks to Robert MacFarlane and Jeff Watkins for having me on the 435 Podcast to talk about transformation in Southern Utah, the perils and thrills of the aerospace industry, and a bunch of other stuff. https://lnkd.in/dG4Upysp

11

This is where open #LLMs come in. I am not a proponent of this specific use ase, but the governance over what can be donw with #ai or not is getting rediculous. If this use case was not shutdown recently in the UK with AI Steve, then why would it be a problem here? #regulation #ethics #generativeai #openai

1

5 Comments

AI for Mayor.... for Real A candidate for Mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming is running as an AI bot. No seriously. Victory Miller, the candidate, developed a domain-specific chatbot on ChatGPT. While his official candidate paperwork lists him as the official candidate, Victor is very deliberate in saying that his “AI is on the ballot.” He even held a press conference, where he directed all questions to his Chatbot, VIC. Of course, election officials (Secretary of State, City Clerk, etc) are struggling with the legal issues, but it appears Victor--- and/or VIC--- will indeed be on the ballet.   There are also issues with OpenAI, since “VIC” is campaigning, a violation of OpenAI’s user agreement. I’ll leave the legal ballot issues to the experts. What interests me are the social implications. This situation reminds me of many other situations where AI steps into roles we reserve only for humans. In this case, the person Victor, intends to have the bot, VIC, make the decisions of the mayor’s office--- Decisions like funding new city construction or fixing potholes. He believes VIC is not only capable, but  more efficient, transparent, and less biased.  Of course, people have concerns about empowering an AI bot beyond the legal issues: lack of empathy, “gut feel”, implications mistakes (as if people don’t make mistakes). From my AI Governance perspective, I simply expect Victor, as the “human in the loop”, to make the final decisions.   And since Victor appears to be 100% transparent about his intensions to use the AI bot, let it be in the hands of voters. On a broader level, this is a microcosm of thousands of debates and issues as AI takes a role in traditional human-centric decisions. Questions about legality, ethics, practicality, accountability and recourse will replay over and over again, as we “mere humans” try to define new boundaries. For now it appears this is simply a social experiment, and probably a PR play. The article reports that Victor (and VIC) has little chance of winning. The broader question for us: Are we ready for AI mayors? AI CEOs? AI judges? AI doctors?  

4

2 Comments

The AI Budget Explorers meetups just keeping getting bigger and better. Our email list is over 75 people and we had 30 on today's call. Our guest speaker was the indomitable Brian Elms, founder of Change Agents Training and former leader of the Denver Peak Academy. Brian introduced to "Coco," a bot he has invented that interviews people about sticky business processes and then produces process maps and suggests where to look for improvements. Coco radically accelerates process mapping (the hard and boring part) but does not eliminate the human element of process improvement (the fun part). What budget-related business processes would you most like to improve? If you want in on AI Budget Explorers, message me your email address. Info. on the next meetup is coming soon. The agenda might include using AI to boost community engagement!

32

4 Comments

Startup radar time! We’re back with another spotlight on startups making moves in Seattle: Govstream.ai, led by Safouen (Saf) Rabah, is using artificial intelligence to help government leaders improve the permitting and urban development process. Integrate, led by John Conafay, aims to help companies streamline program management for hardware development. Sound Games, led by Mike Schmid, is developing video games and “other things related to making games." Tamnoon, led by Marina S., offers a cloud security software platform boosted by AI. Yara AI, led by Joe Braidwood, uses advanced language models and deep memory features to help customers boost mental wellness. Read more about the startups and their leaders here: https://lnkd.in/gVi3KpgK

189

10 Comments

Awesome new initiative Aviel Ginzburg!! When Sean Sternbach and I launched Venture Out, Aviel and Pablo Brown-Rodriguez were silent cofounders. Aviel freely shared his words of wisdom from years of building community in Seattle. He and Chris DeVore were the first money into our community, followed quickly by Flying Fish Partners, Liquid 2 Ventures, M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund, and a huge list of Seattle angels. After growing to 1200+ members in <3 years, running multiple pre-preseed accelerators, a few learnings about building great community and the Seattle Founder Ecosystem: In the early days, no one knows what they are doing. Seek outside advice and guidance from people just ahead of you. Unicorn founders and tech moguls have great stories, but the woman who left amazon six months ago, launched an MVP, and crashed through her first 2 dozen investor discussions will have golden advice. Be open, honest, and vulnerable. Our best events and discussions happened when people let their guard down. No one will spend their life (which a startup requires) to build your idea. They might build something similar and tackle the same problem, but only your life experience and decision-making will make the difference. Share ideas often. Give first. As a ~10 year Techstars mentor, I saw this as the best part of the community. In my opinion, they have lost this completely. Don't come into a community and take. Give all you can, even when it feels counterproductive. Something might eventually come back that changes your life and direction. Even if it never does, you will 1000% feel great about the decision. Play long-term games with long-term people. Naval Ravikant was the first person I heard say this. Surround yourself with committed doers, makers, and visionaries. There are a lot of want-entrepreneurs in the world (which is a good thing; we need more people to take risks), but spend the most time with people in the ring, putting their time behind what they are doing. Learn how to give advice and direction without being evangelical, condescending, or a jerk. Learn to be direct but helpful. It's what you want on your journey, so invest in being a great thought partner for others. A final few notes: 1) No, you likely will never get paid the same amount or make as much money as a founder as you would as an L7/L8 at Amazon. If that is why you are starting a company, you're already in trouble. But knowing Aviel, he is already filtering for this 😂 2) You will likely learn in 6-18 months in the ring as a founder, than the rest of your life combined. Start to write, share your experience, find a therapist, and get ready to unpack a LOT as you go. The only way to make space for new information is to process it, store it, and then let it go. 3) The relationships are the most important part of the journey. I will always remember meetings with Matt Ehrlichman, Asha Sharma, Kyle Sandburg, and Matthew Neagle and the rest of the Porch Group team. Go Aviel!!!

42

4 Comments

Joshua Frank is facilitating a workshop called Methods for Communicating Your Past Performance to Accelerate Government Sales (2024 Update) for GOVOLOGY (Waypoint America) on July 16th @ 1 EST. If you’re looking for tactics and strategies to position and communicate your company’s past performance, this course will change how you market, communicate, and differentiate your products and services. In this educational, fast-paced, and high-energy course, Mr. Frank will review how most companies market their “experience” and past performance with moderate success and little to no differentiation. Then, he will share several real-world examples where you will learn to map the value for each of your contracts and then “bridge” them to improve market position and increase your company’s perceived maturity. Whether you are an entrepreneur, small or large business, targeting the public or private sector, this course will open your eyes to how you can more strongly market your company and the products or services you sell. This training provides award-winning tactics and strategies that have directly helped companies win more than $13.5 billion in definitive contracts and more than $30 billion in multiple-award contracts. Managing Partner at RSM Federal, Mr. Frank is the author of multiple Amazon bestsellers, including An Insider’s Guide To Winning Government Contracts – Real World Strategies, Lessons, and Recommendations, Game Changers for Government Contractors, and The Government Sales Manual. Mr. Frank has been honored with SBA’s award for Veteran Business of the Year, Industry Small Business Advocate of the Year by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), and in 2021, Mr. Frank was inducted into the Government Sales Hall of Fame with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. Target Audience: Small business owners, marketing, sales, and proposal professionals You can register here: https://lnkd.in/ez2ZC3Ft If you are an RSM Federal client, please email me for a discount code.

24

2 Comments

Last night's Technology Association of Oregon panel discussion on raising capital for AI ventures was full of interesting takeaways. The event brought together leading PNW VCs, CEOs, and funders to share their perspectives and best practices. Here's what you need to know: ➡ The AI/ML space is rapidly evolving, presenting huge opportunities for startups tackling real business problems. VCs are actively seeking out the most ambitious and disruptive companies in this domain. ➡ Having an "unfair advantage" is key - whether that's proprietary data sets, unique domain expertise, or unparalleled access to customers. AI ventures need strong differentiation to stand out. ➡ Build relationships early with VCs, even before you're ready to raise. Their insights and connections can accelerate your journey. The PNW venture ecosystem is highly collaborative and accessible. ➡ Don't be deterred by the perceived lack of local funding. Great companies with compelling visions will get funded, period. Leverage the PNW's strengths in developer/engineering talent. ➡ Recognize and proactively address the potential downsides of AI - from data privacy to model bias. Building responsibly is both an obligation and an opportunity. ➡ Move fast, be bold. Raising capital is always hard, but fortune favors the brave in this space. With the right team, tech and traction, you can build a world-changing business here in the PNW. Thanks to the fantastic panelists Diane Fraiman (Voyager Capital), Geoff Harris (Flying Fish), Jon Maroney (OVF), Chris Sestito (Hidden Layer), Jon Turow (Madrona) for sharing their insights, and to Kristy Edwards for moderating!

20

3 Comments

States are navigating a complex path with BEAD program approvals, mapping challenges, and the uncertain future of the ACP. Despite hurdles, the $42.5B initiative aims to bridge the digital divide. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gda47Qe8 #digitaldivide #BEADProgram

12

How can a robust micro-purchase strategy elevate your #GovCon success? Get the answers at our webinar, "Small Wins, Big Impact: MicroPurchase Strategies For Established GovCons" with special guest William Randolph, Founder of THINK Acquisition, a Navy veteran and Homeland Security leader with extensive experience in contract awards and guiding businesses to Federal success. William and I will talk about how MicroPurchase strategies help established businesses surpass competitors, challenge incumbents, enter new agencies, and secure wins while saving time and reducing costs. We'll also share insights on disrupting incumbents, expanding into new markets, and attracting top talent while optimizing costs and accelerating growth. Don't miss out—register now to discover new strategies and tools to achieve your GovCon goals! Get all the details and register here: https://lnkd.in/exYUKGpg #MicroPurchaseStrategies #GovCon #DisruptIncumbents

7

2 Comments

Increased efficiency through #automation is one of the main benefits of IDEAL. The other benefit is the increased level of job satisfaction of the USDA scientists who can now use their education and training for more complex tasks. #reskilling "The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) gathers facts and figures about the farms and people who feed our nation and the world." (@usda_nass) The Agency conducts hundreds of #agsurveys each year and the Census of Agriculture every five years and prepares reports covering virtually every facet of U.S. agriculture. For most surveys conducted by NASS, the data correction and #imputations occur through cumbersome manual processes by PhD-level scientists, especially for small (less than 200 variables) and medium-sized surveys (between 200 and 2,000 variables). Summit modernized a production-level edit and imputation system that leverages current NASS systems and databases. This new automation—called IDEAL—is compatible with any small- and medium-sized survey. #agile #Azure #cloudcomputing Reach out to learn more!

9

I highly recommend SF local founders check out a free "Founder-Led Sales" lecture Peter Kazanjy is giving on Wednesday Dec 11th. The single biggest mistake I see founders make is abstracting themselves from sales prematurely. It hemorrhages cash, runway and founder and employee equity. They think the moment they leave their accelerator or raise capital that's the signal for others to take the reigns of sales sleigh. #error Pete demystifies much of what it takes get founder-led sales right. Book your place using the link in the comments. #sales #saas #startups #GTMdebt #venturecapital

15

5 Comments

Gain invaluable insights and learn how to navigate the complex landscape to become a supplier for the Department of Defense (DoD). Learn how to position your business for success. Key Takeaways: - Go-to-Market Strategy: Learn proven strategies to effectively enter and thrive in the defense market. Presented by (Me!) Brian 'BK' Kent, PhD, NACD.DC from the NSIN - National Security Innovation Network. - Understanding Pre-requisites: Discover the essential requirements for doing business with the DoD, including necessary certifications and compliance. Presented by Kate Hoy from the Washington APEX Accelerator. - Success Story: Hear from a startup that has successfully entered the DoD market, sharing their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. Presented by Michael Madrid from Starfish Space. Join us June 20th for the Business of Innovation in Defense (BID). Register today - https://lnkd.in/gzhW-gad #nwdefense #therfactor #businessgrowth #innovation

1

1 Comment

Absolutely 👍 this was a great Roundtable discussion! A lot of take away topics. Yet a lot more to desire to answer the following questions: 1. How do you cut a budget without a in depth analysis of current spendings? 2. Have you done Project prioritization and selection based on strategic objectives? 3. Have your outlined the goals of the organization and connect them to the current/future projects? 4. Have you done fit gap analysis to understand the current and future state of your organization? 5. Do you have the right people to execute the prioritized projects? If not let’s have a conversation to help your organization to be efficient.

7

2 Comments

Dear Gentle Readers, A Misguided Approach to SOEs: More Chaos, Less Clarity Transferring shareholder responsibility for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to line ministries may exacerbate existing dysfunctions rather than resolve them. This approach risks deepening political interference and complicating governance structures, as evidenced by global best practices such as Singapore’s Temasek, where SOEs are commercially viable and operate free from political manipulation. Such organizational restructuring lacks a data-driven rationale. Analyzing the available data would likely reveal that without addressing core inefficiencies, such as poor management, lack of clear mandates, and unprofitable business models, any structural adjustment is unlikely to produce positive outcomes. The failure to specify performance metrics, a clear path to financial viability, or a framework for minimizing political interference suggests a gap between theory and implementation. Ultimately, adding another corporate layer could centralize corruption risks rather than foster transparency and accountability. A thorough analysis would consider these factors, demonstrating that without fundamental reform in management practices and financial oversight, reshuffling SOEs merely shifts responsibility without solving the underlying issues. To truly improve performance, a clear, evidence-based policy framework is essential. Until then, the proposed changes risk being a recipe for further chaos.

1

The federal govt's demand for AI capabilities is growing rapidly and dramatically. Alongside that growth is the immediate need to shepherd AI innovations into the federal market. AI solutions face unique challenges navigating the complex govt contracting landscape: not only are they relatively new businesses, but the govt is still refining its definition of new, mission-specific AI requirements. Enabling the strongest solutions to make it to govt requires more targeted support to this sector than ever before.

10

A couple of years ago one of our state customers sent us a "cease all work" email after their Governor signed an executive order banning the use of AI products. 😅 While the broader enterprise SaaS space was going full steam ahead with AI, I felt fairly bearish on whether the investment in AI would deliver near-term ROI for govtech. It wasn't a question of *if* AI was going to become integral to government workflows, but *when* governments would be ready to embrace it. We recently launched our first AI product at Esper, and the response from our government customers has been incredible (no "cease all work" emails this time around 😆 ) A big takeaway from the launch is 🚫 don’t lead with “this is AI”. Instead, we focus on the value the product delivers and then explain the underlying technology. This approach has helped ease any initial apprehension and keep the conversation going. For all the govtech builders out there- what's been your experience with the market's attitude towards AI?

35

4 Comments