Guest:
Ross Wilkers, Senior Staff Reporter, Washington Technology

🎧 Host:
Jeff Shapiro, Optimize Podcast

📄 Episode Description:
In this episode of the Optimize Podcast, host Jeff Shapiro is joined by Ross Wilkers, veteran journalist and Senior Staff Reporter at Washington Technology. They dive deep into the current transformation sweeping federal procurement—fueled by policy mandates, staffing changes, and a growing push toward commercial solutions and outcome-based contracting.

Ross shares what he’s hearing on the ground from contractors, policymakers, and agency insiders—from the shrinking federal workforce and skepticism around consulting, to the reality of scaling commercial tech for government needs. Whether you’re a longtime GovCon player or just trying to stay ahead of the headlines, this episode delivers fresh perspective on what’s really driving change—and how to prepare for it.

📌 Key Topics & Timestamps:

Ross’s path from local journalism to GovCon (01:00)

How agency workforce reductions are disrupting relationships (08:00)

The commercial preference push and Palantir’s lawsuit (14:00)

Consulting’s image crisis in GovCon (18:30)

Scaling challenges with commercial tech in government (20:00)

Outcome-based contracting: rewards vs. risks (59:00)

Advice for influencing policy change and avoiding “complaint-only” feedback (50:00)

Where to get real GovCon insights (52:00)

🔗 Useful Links:

Listen to more episodes: https://www.visiblethread.com/podcasts/

Connect with Jeff Shapiro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffshapirocpa/

Connect with Ross Wilkers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-wilkers-9256a371/