"Co-opetition" in Defense with Teresa Carlson, President, General Catalyst Institute

Building the Base

In this episode of Building The Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Teresa Carlson, founding president of General Catalyst Institute. Drawing from her extensive experience leading public sector teams at AWS and Microsoft, Carlson shares invaluable insights on building successful government-technology partnerships, the evolution of cloud adoption, and the current state of defense tech investment. She discusses her journey from Kentucky to becoming a pivotal figure in government technology transformation, while offering practical advice on everything from procurement strategies to maintaining work-life balance in male-dominated fields.

Five Key Takeaways:
1. Building successful public sector teams requires prioritizing mission-oriented individuals who are deeply invested in government success rather than just sales performance.
2. Successfully navigating government-technology partnerships demands a comprehensive strategy incorporating direct contracts, reseller networks, and strategic integrator alliances.
3. Global startups continue gravitating toward the U.S. market due to its unmatched speed in technology adoption and more efficient procurement pathways.
4. The emergence of applied AI as a transformative force in government operations promises end-to-end automation of complex processes without human intervention.
5. Defense technology has witnessed a dramatic shift in venture capital interest, evolving from a niche market in 2010 to a highly sought-after investment sector today.