I spent a career in Defense Technology Prototyping, culminating at DARPA, where I led 17 programs, each with less than a 10% chance of technical success. 100% were successful. If you are paying attention during your short DARPA tenure, there are a set of processes you can learn about how to ensure success doing hard things, and how to accelerate technical prototype development and fielding.
I led the program that developed the first see-thru augmented reality display, developing the hand gesture recognition and AR display methods that later formed the foundations of today’s popular AR glasses and gesture systems. My other programs included the cocktail party problem for audio, Shannon information theory for network analysis, cybersecurity issues, some things I cannot discuss, and one program shut down the by a subsequent director as “too crazy, even for DARPA”, which I am happy to say has since had its major tenets proven out by modern medicine.
Prior to DARPA I spent time as a Program Manager at a joint defense skunkworks lab where we developed the first “tip-and-cue” multi-sensor systems, the first Wide Area Persistent Surveillance systems and other first of a kind technologies. All of these technologies were actually deployed, and successfully used in the field, becoming sustained programs of record. Most went from design to deployment in less than 9 months.
I founded Geode in February 2022 (and continue to lead it) to skate to where the puck is going to be in terms of Blockchain + AI/agents, and Consumer Blockchain (GeodeChain.com). Geode is an independent layer one blockchain with a suite of native dapp tools for agents and humans. Running Geode has taught me a lot. I built Geode with a ridiculously long runway designed to survive the growing pains of the nascent blockchain and crypto industries without investor intervention. I learned a lot about the inner workings of this industry (the good, the bad and the ugly).
Now, Geode is on a glide path to long term success. The hard problems (like building a decentralized version of Amazon that could run in memory restricted smart contract environments, building truly private onchain messaging, and alternate economics) have been solved. While I continue to provide vision and leadership for Geode, it does not need me full time to ensure its success.
I will be tracking these technologies, and providing technical due diligence to Family Offices and Venture Capital firms that want to underwrite the combinations that produce a 3rd derivative effect.
Why? Because when Family Offices and VC firms make good choices, humanity benefits long term. Funding frontier tech and multi-tech systems requires deep technical expertise, significant prototyping experience and a well honed gut instinct. That’s where I can make the best contribution while continuing to position Geode within that stack.