Darren Farber

The department does best when it lets dual-use commercial technology advance so it can adapt it and pull it in internally as opposed to trying to develop a technology exclusively for defense if there's an adjacent commercial development.

The department does best when it lets dual-use commercial technology advance so it can adapt it and pull it in internally as opposed to trying to develop a technology exclusively for defense if there's an adjacent commercial development.

I mean, I was part of a program in Afghanistan where we were trying to create handheld computing for the purposes of contracting officers being able to go outside the wire to be able to conduct commerce on the economy and do our counterinsurgency mission. So that's... We use this little parking ticket. It's called a standard form 44. It looks like a parking ticket.

I mean, I was part of a program in Afghanistan where we were trying to create handheld computing for the purposes of contracting officers being able to go outside the wire to be able to conduct commerce on the economy and do our counterinsurgency mission. So that's... We use this little parking ticket. It's called a standard form 44. It looks like a parking ticket.

It's like in in triplicate and there's a carbon copy. It's exactly what you grew up with, a parking ticket. And that's how we give money. We procure resources on the economy in a theater or war. And so there's a special limit that we raise to a few million dollars. And one of my jobs was to clear these tickets into the accounting system in Kandahar.

It's like in in triplicate and there's a carbon copy. It's exactly what you grew up with, a parking ticket. And that's how we give money. We procure resources on the economy in a theater or war. And so there's a special limit that we raise to a few million dollars. And one of my jobs was to clear these tickets into the accounting system in Kandahar.

And I remember looking at one that's a two million dollars to cash ticket. I remember the field ordering officer, I said, what's this? So our general lack of visibility financially, I love to have some compute because for them to trace this route back to base, it's crazy dangerous.

And I remember looking at one that's a two million dollars to cash ticket. I remember the field ordering officer, I said, what's this? So our general lack of visibility financially, I love to have some compute because for them to trace this route back to base, it's crazy dangerous.

And they're only coming back to meet the general obligation of how we need to clear these tickets in order to give them more cash. So maybe I can do it digitally over the air. And so we built this huge thing. It hung off your belt. It had a huge expensive battery on it. It had a thermal printer attached. It lasted two hours. It was horrible.

And they're only coming back to meet the general obligation of how we need to clear these tickets in order to give them more cash. So maybe I can do it digitally over the air. And so we built this huge thing. It hung off your belt. It had a huge expensive battery on it. It had a thermal printer attached. It lasted two hours. It was horrible.

And then over a weekend, the first version of the iPhone comes out. A Marine builds an entire app over the weekend. He goes, why don't we use this? Of course, it's so much better. But you have to remember, the department is the largest organization of its kind on Earth. And for many years, it was the largest organization. The Army is still the largest operator of golf courses in the world. So...

And then over a weekend, the first version of the iPhone comes out. A Marine builds an entire app over the weekend. He goes, why don't we use this? Of course, it's so much better. But you have to remember, the department is the largest organization of its kind on Earth. And for many years, it was the largest organization. The Army is still the largest operator of golf courses in the world. So...

The U.S. Army, everything it does is at the limit of size. And so it always thought that its internal requirements would drive the best solution because it could bring so much demand. I'm 47. I never contemplated trillion dollar balance sheet corporations that had In the iPhone, 90% global market share or something crazy for a phone above $1,000.

The U.S. Army, everything it does is at the limit of size. And so it always thought that its internal requirements would drive the best solution because it could bring so much demand. I'm 47. I never contemplated trillion dollar balance sheet corporations that had In the iPhone, 90% global market share or something crazy for a phone above $1,000.

And so the technology in it, we do so much better doing adaptation of something commercial. And I happen to think that's what's going to happen in a lot of these new emerging technologies. The department didn't come up with its own flat panel TV. It bought it commercially. And if you go on the high side for all the cleared information, it's showing it on a Dell screen.

And so the technology in it, we do so much better doing adaptation of something commercial. And I happen to think that's what's going to happen in a lot of these new emerging technologies. The department didn't come up with its own flat panel TV. It bought it commercially. And if you go on the high side for all the cleared information, it's showing it on a Dell screen.

Yeah, it's not a custom screen that we made for ourselves. So... Then there are instances where in the Palantirs where they've crossed into the commercial domain, and this is wonderful for the department because you're getting more reps. So I happen to think a lot of the autonomy in the commercial world will ultimately be adapted into the defense department. What am I talking about?

Yeah, it's not a custom screen that we made for ourselves. So... Then there are instances where in the Palantirs where they've crossed into the commercial domain, and this is wonderful for the department because you're getting more reps. So I happen to think a lot of the autonomy in the commercial world will ultimately be adapted into the defense department. What am I talking about?

Joby and Waymo and Tesla. That commercial adaptation is going to be very helpful for a defense application. So I think there's a huge benefit where we should be kiting off of... the commercial side of industry. By the way, there's legislation to this. And so I was intimately involved in it because we owned a business that benefited from the real legislation and we advocated for it.

Joby and Waymo and Tesla. That commercial adaptation is going to be very helpful for a defense application. So I think there's a huge benefit where we should be kiting off of... the commercial side of industry. By the way, there's legislation to this. And so I was intimately involved in it because we owned a business that benefited from the real legislation and we advocated for it.