Want to build software for the DoD? You won’t get better guidance than from Michael Frank, Deputy CTO, Department of the Navy, who works with entrepreneurs, non-traditional DoD contractors, and private capital to connect mission needs with commercial solutions. Mike says the best partners are adaptable and communicate relentlessly. While they might push back on “bespoke everything,” they still respect real DoD constraints. They’re fluent in risk, laying out crisp assessments of what’s accepted, what’s been mitigated, and why.
Bottom line: know the mission, know your product, and flash your risk math prowess. That’s how commercial teams win in defense.
Key takeaways:
DoD work = hardest, most meaningful problems. The kind that attracts top talent and spins out dual-use breakthroughs.
Use dual-use to your advantage. Navy focus areas (cyber, threat intel, AI, quantum/PQC) let you build once and win in both defense and commercial markets.
One product, one UX. There shouldn’t be an “optimal UX for commercial” and “suboptimal UX for DoD.” Great UX should be universal.
Speed vs. security is a choice. Understand and own it. In other words, skip controls now, pay the price later. Mike says it’s important for teams to understand “Everything we engineer, everything we build, must be secure from day one. That must be the priority.”
Mike’s team embraces “secure by design.” Engineering and security leaders take note: bake in compliance up front and give engineers paved roads, not bolt-ons.
Great partners adapt and communicate. Just like in any healthy, thriving relationship, they learn how to work with the government, they’re great communicators, they know how to push back (the DoD doesn’t expect “bespoke everything”) but also remain flexible and recognize there are DoD-specific constraints.
Get fluent in risk. Conduct a risk assessment, have a deep understanding of what risks exist and what you’re doing about them. This is evidence you understand both your product and the broader mission.
About Michael Frank
Michael Frank is the Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the Department of the Navy. In addition to his role as Deputy CTO, he’s also currently Cyber Portfolio Lead for the Marine Innovation Unit as a Marine Reservist.
Mike is an expert at navigating the unique challenges of the DoD and part of his role is helping organizations work successfully with the Department of the Navy. In other words, Mike's the person you want on your team! What's especially great about Mike is his 360-degree view. He’s consulted for both public and private sectors, so he truly understands the landscape. He's seen it all.
After college, Mike served for four years on active duty in the Marine Corps as a communications officer. He continued (and continues!) his service in the reserves, where he established Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) Companies. Simultaneously, he earned his MBA and worked in consulting at Accenture and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
At Accenture and BCG, Mike worked with various DoD organizations, consulted on cyber issues for the Department of Energy and Department of State, and advised banks, insurance companies, and healthcare companies. Basically, he’s got a ton of experience understanding and solving critical problems for all sorts of organizations.
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