Is the Defense Department Ready for an Age of Disruption? 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Does the United States military have an innovation problem? For all its smart leaders and money and obvious edge in many areas, some experts believe that at a moment replete with global crises and potential threats, the U.S. military is at risk of falling behind major adversaries when it comes to change and innovation. 

Certainly that’s the view of Steve Blank, an American entrepreneur and creator of the so-called lean startup movement. Blank is a deeply respected voice in the world of organizational management – particularly the crucial work of disruption in large organizations that often resist such change. He has founded four technology startups, worked with several others, and is the co-creator of the Department of Defense’s Hacking for Defense program, and the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University.