Ever wonder why critical military resources get lost in the“fog of war”?

In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell sits down with Beowulf’s founders, Mark Hammonds and Ryan Perez, to discuss how Bulldog—a logistic and planning tool—was developed to streamline military logistics.

Drawing from their firsthand experiences in Ukraine, they discuss how real-time feedback from soldiers transformed Bulldog into a game-changing tool for efficiency, accountability, and survivability on the frontlines.

They also dive into the evolving role of AI in software engineering, the lessons they learned while navigating U.S. government contracting, and Beowulf’s partnership with Carahsoft to deploy their solution.

If you’re interested in technology’s role in defense or the journey of a startup tackling massive logistical problems, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:10) The story behind Beowulf’s creation

(05:09) Initial problem identification in Ukraine’s military logistics

(11:16) Real-world impact of poor inventory management

(14:47) Progress and challenges with scaling Bulldog 

(18:28) Regulatory hurdles for small businesses contracting with the government

(21:30)  AI’s evolving role in software engineering

(25:54) Importance of early, direct feedback from users

(27:46) How to get actionable feedback from software pilots

(30:19) Episode wrap-up

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here:https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates:https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guests:

💥Follow Mark Hammonds on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhammonds/

💥Follow Ryan Perez on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-perez1/

💥Visit Beowulf for more information:https://beowulfgroup.com/

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Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

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