Why does DARPA work, content strategy framework, and why nobody cares?

Be willing.

Good morning,

Hope you enjoy the deep dive in this edition.

In today's edition, among other things:

• Why does DARPA work?

• A Framework for Content Strategy

• Lessons Learned in Making Software

• War on your confidence

• Nobody cares

• 10 Effective Pricing Page Examples

• How Senior Leaders Evaluate Ideas: A Framework for Pitching and Decision-Making

Onwards!

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Why does DARPA work?

I wrote a project of a Polish DARPA-like organization a few years back that I would like to publish (and build) one day and since then, have been pretty outspoken (including in 2020-21 in this newsletter) about the need to create both national and EU level DARPA like org. Some people resurface this idea recently, so I want to shed again some light on the DARPA as an organization.

What do the Internet, GPS, Boston Dynamics robots, Graphical user interface (GUI), mouse, and Siri have in common? DARPA. Per Wikipedia:

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). From 1958 to 1972 and 1993 to 1996, under the name - Advanced Research Projects Agency - ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) - a US government agency for developing military technology operating within the Department of Defense.

Since the government organization, which has been operating since 1958, stimulates the creation of major innovations, one must ask: how does it work, and what does it allow to stimulate the development of technology over several decades? Can this model be replicated in other countries? Can this model be used in organizations?

How does DARPA work?

In a nutshell:

Around 100 program managers (PMs) with around 5 year appointments create and run programs to pursue high-level visions like "actualize the idea of man-computer symbiosis." In these programs they fund researchers at universities and both big and small companies to do research projects of different sizes. Collectively, groups working on projects are called performers. Top-level authority lies with a Director who ultimately reports to the Secretary of Defense.

There are five key elements of the DARPA model (ARPA Model).

1. People

2. Bonuses and structure

3. Processes

4. Funding

Sounds familiar, right? The most important elements needed for any business. Let’s do a deep dive.