Foreword

Fighting myths and stereotypes is often thankless. Most of us like our versions of the truth and cling to them with tenacity. Dave and Steve attempt to take you down a road to real truths and keys to success in the federal IT market. I had the experience of being one of the people they interviewed in their quest to explain, dissect, and recommend actions in this arena. Their questions seemed endless but focused: What is it? How big is it? How does it operate? How does one succeed in it?

As a former chief information officer, commissioner, engineer, and program manager, I have thought about those questions, but perhaps not organized, vetted, debated, or reached conclusions. If you don’t know why you failed or succeeded, you are not likely to get better or even to repeat successful outcomes. Dave and Steve have done a wonderful job of starting the process that will enable us to get better and to repeat our successes.

In any great endeavor, the devil is in the details. Oftentimes we work on those details with great energy but aim in the wrong direction. Other times we pursue our objectives with lofty goals but miss the details. I believe we are most successful when we have lofty goals and pursue the details with obsessive energy. Reality may later set in regarding how naïve we were, but also how committed we were—and how wondrous the results were.

As you delve into this book, try to keep in mind the loftier, more noble goals, but also pay attention to the details that must be attended to for those dreams to come true. Dave and Steve have labored to alternate between the lofty and the details to ensure you don’t forget what the goal is and how to get there.

In the first days of my federal career, I thought I needed to be much more sophisticated and worldly than I was (or ever became). The reality is that most of government is about getting the mail there on time. Failures are noticed, publicized, and criticized. Successes often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Yet, those who can understand the practical and human way government works are more likely to succeed and prosper.

Dave and Steve have sought to educate us in the critical success factors involved in doing business in the federal market. This is not the work of ideologues. They have boiled down the hard lessons of experience and presented the keys to operating in a large, complex, legally entangled, and above all technical market.

Although the market can appear daunting, the chance to serve the public has a special appeal. It can be challenging, expensive, demanding, and sometimes thankless, but it offers the chance to make a real difference to the people we serve.

It’s why soldiers don’t talk about battle. It’s why we do what we do in the federal arena.

Robert J. Woods
Founder and president, Topside Consulting Group
Vienna, Virginia
May 2012