Government contracting, but with zero fluff.

In this episode, we sit down with Travis James—former Army contracting officer and now Head of Contracts at Fortera—for a brutally practical breakdown of how to actually win defense contracts.

From underused authorities like 10 USC 4023 to what really happens behind the scenes with sole source justifications, Travis gives founders the roadmap most never get. We also talk autonomous vehicles, program of record dynamics, price vs. performance tradeoffs, and how venture-backed companies can play offense inside the slow-moving machine.

(0:00 - Intro

(1:12) - From Army Contracting Officer to Defense Startup

(3:46) - How Government Contracting Actually Works

(5:27) - Understanding 10 USC 4022, 4023, 4025

(8:19) - Leaving Government for Fortera

(10:12) - Inside Fortera’s $93M Autonomous Breaching Contract

(13:22) - How Defense Demos and Competitions Really Work

(15:57) - Price vs. Performance in Government Contracting

(18:33) - Program of Record and the Future of Ground Autonomy

(20:21) - Selling to the Government as a Venture-Backed Startup

(23:13) - Sole Source Contracts and Acquisition Flexibility

(26:17) - Role of Dr. Matthew Willis in DoD Awards

(29:31) - How to Win With the Right Acquisition Path

(31:44) - Lessons From the CROWS Program

(34:41) - Retrofitting Autonomy on Legacy Vehicles

(36:58) - Planning for Conflict in the Pacific

(40:06) - Dual-Use and Fortera's Commercial Autonomy Business

(43:39) - Weaponizing Robots and the Case for Autonomy

(47:19) - Nuclear Deterrence and Existential Risk

(50:44) - Sci-Fi, Pop Culture, and Fallout Scenarios

(53:18) - China’s Robotic Systems and Resource Warfare

(55:36) - Why Autonomy Solves the Military Recruiting Crisis

(57:13) - Positioning Fortera as an Autonomy Prime

(59:42) - Congressional Engagement and Reforming 4023

(1:01:23) - Outro

Follow Travis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travistjames/

Check out Forterra: https://www.forterra.com/

Follow the show everywhere! 👇

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3YOfGtO

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drone-ultimatum/id1770994541

X (Twitter): https://x.com/droneultimatumInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedroneultimatum/

Check out Allen Control Systems (ACS): https://www.allencontrolsystems.com/