Event Summary
QLab kicked off the spring with Jake Sullivan and Cameron McCord for a wide ranging conversation on what it will take for the United States to win in dual use innovation. Sullivan reflected on how national security competition is increasingly shaped by industrial capacity, faster technology cycles, and the ability to turn policy into real outcomes. McCord brought the operator and founder view, sharing what breaks when programs cannot test and validate quickly, and why modernizing test and evaluation is a quiet force multiplier for deterrence and readiness.
Together, they returned to a few core themes. Speed is not a nice to have. It is strategic advantage, and delays in fielding compound across entire portfolios. Entrepreneurs need to understand how government actually works, then design a path that gets to real users, real budgets, and real adoption. On procurement, both were pragmatic: reform is possible, but founders should optimize for what is achievable now, not what they wish the system were. On AI and emerging tech, they emphasized responsible innovation, starting with strong data foundations and clear governance before adding more autonomy in mission critical systems.
They closed with a direct message to the room: the country needs builders who can pair mission clarity with execution. Move faster, stay grounded in real operational problems, and choose the hard path of getting capability into the field.