Pour a drink and dive into the federal arena with Doug Dreyer, founder of Mind Gear Solutions, rocket-scientist-turned-operator, and veteran growth leader across space, cyber, healthcare, and public infrastructure.

In this Tipsy Technologist sit-down, Doug breaks down what actually wins in today’s contracting climate: mission: noise, speed with rigor (OTAs done right), and the “barbell” model where small innovators team with large integrators to deliver at the mission outcome.We cover:

• The post-pandemic push to move faster (and where OTAs fit)
• Budget pressure and what gets cut first vs. what never does
• CMMC, cyber “hygiene” vs. compliance, and why collaboration matters
• How AI will automate the government’s least-loved work—and how to prep your data, processes, and teams now
• Why relationships and reputation still decide who gets invited to the table
• Doug’s journey from solving rocket equations to leading multi-billion-dollar captures (plus a quick Space 2.0 → 3.0 detour)
• If you sell, build, or buy tech for federal missions, this episode is a masterclass in playing chess—not checkers.