“Clearspeed CEO Alex Martin on Navigating TACFI Funding: Key Insights and Partnership with The Outpost”
The Outpost recently launched a new playlist “Mission Critical Conversations ~ a limited interview series with the founders and leaders of tech on a mission.” In this video, Alex Martin, CEO and Co-Founder of Clearspeed, discusses the company’s approach and insights regarding the TACFI (Tactical Funding Increase) program. Martin emphasizes Clearspeed’s focus on three primary objectives while pursuing TACFI:
- Evaluating Value Addition: Clearspeed wanted to ensure they could provide significant value through the execution of their TACFI. They approached the process by assessing their capabilities and determining how they could effectively meet the program’s goals. Then working with their customers to co-develop the milestones that have the largest impact for the program. Co-designing these leads to more trust with your stakeholders.
- Understanding the Process: The team sought to understand their end user and customer organizational structure, their decision making process and how that could align with the TACFI process. Specifically focused on their funding decision model, their operational requirements, and how the application process can align with augmenting program goals.
- Strategic Integration and Transition: With a forward-looking strategy, Clearspeed aimed to embed their solutions sustainably within their customer’s ecosystem, understanding what are the stage gates for future funding. This included fostering partnerships, particularly with Outpost, to navigate the complex requirements, leveraging Outpost’s knowledge base and experience to tailor Clearspeed’s offerings to the unique needs of end users.
Martin highlights the importance of collaboration with The Outpost, which provided Clearspeed with essential guidance. This partnership helped Clearspeed bridge gaps between technical requirements and end-user expectations, fostering an imaginative and strategic vision. The Outpost also facilitated the communication necessary for Clearspeed to present their technology effectively to TACFI stakeholders.
Additionally, Martin addresses the challenge of navigating TACFI’s decision-making process, described as working behind a metaphorical “curtain.” This lack of transparency requires companies to articulate their value and innovation in a way that anticipates the decision-makers’ unseen criteria. With The Outpost’s support, Clearspeed enhanced its ability to translate its novel technology into terms that resonate with TACFI’s goals, ultimately maximizing their opportunity for success within the program.
