Dr. Moriba Jah, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, past navigator for many missions to Mars, and space situational awareness expert returns to the Cold Star Project. With host Jason Kanigan, Dr. Jah digs deeper into the challenges of space object identification, tracking and orbital prediction, including: Why is it a problem that satellite orbit pathing predictions assume a spheroid shape? What issues does this create? What can we do to improve the predictive ability of satellite pathing calculations? Why do we need to improve this accuracy--what’s the rush, what’s driving this need? What is the technology behind space traffic management: what era is it from, and how does it work? Who operates it? What would a better system look like, and who should operate it? Why was the Two Line Element format chosen? What’s wrong with TLEs? It’s my understanding from speaking with our colleagues, primarily the British, that more information is available or even broadcast, but some is truncated to fit in the TLE format. Why is this done? In my own research, I found a Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems blue book from 2009, updated in 2012. From there I went on to the CCSDS website. Thinking is clearly done on the topic: why, then, is (from the outsider’s perspective, at any rate) the pace of change glacial? What would a modern satellite data communication system look like? How many lines would you recommend? What would this additional data transmission enable us to do or know? In the past year space situational awareness and space domain awareness have finally been getting more of the attention it deserves. What else needs to happen to gain the energy to make change and the funding required to do so? Previous interview on the Cold Star Project with Dr. Jah: https://coldstarproject.com/auS02E11MoribaJah Wikipedia page on Dr. Jah: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriba_Jah Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://www.coldstartech.com/bookcall
Starting in Europe and ending in the USA, Istvan Lorincz and the other co-founders of Morpheus Space have been on a long startup journey. We discuss: their fundraising efforts what has stood out as a key but little-mentioned factor in developing a startup the realistic expectations founders should have when deciding to form a startup. Morpheus Space website: https://www.morpheus-space.com/ Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://www.coldstartech.com/bookcall
NASA's BIGGEST Moon Challenges for University Students - Interview with Paul van SusanteHow do we generate power on the Moon — and keep it running through the harsh 14-day lunar night? In this episode of the Cold Star Project, Dr. Paul van Susante of Michigan Tech shares what it really takes to make lunar infrastructure a reality.From lunar robotics to the NASA Watts on the Moon Challenge, Dr. van Susante’s team of students is solving real-world problems that will shape the future of Moon missions and deep space exploration. We share the experiences of his students participating in NASA challenges on regolith handling, power transmission, thermal issues, and what it means to build infrastructure where no one’s done it before.🔧 Topics Covered:How to power lunar bases through extreme conditionsWhy the NASA Watts on the Moon Challenge matters — and how student teams are pushing lunar tech forwardRobotic design for dusty, low-gravity environmentsWhat students are building today to support future Moon missionsThe future of off-world civil engineering.🎓 Guest: Dr. Paul van Susante – Professor at Michigan Technological University and Principal Investigator of the Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab (a.k.a. HuskyWorks).This episode is brought to you by Cold Star Technologies and our Internal Business Intelligence™ initiative — helping space and defense founders gain clarity and control. Learn more at 👉 https://coldstartech.com/ibiThe Cold Star Project - Season 5, Episode 8Hosted, Directed, and Produced by Jason Kanigan“The real conversations behind the new space economy, defense tech, and policy—straight from the insiders building it.”Further resources:https://www.youtube.com/@NASAsBreakTheIceLunarChallengeNASA Break the Ice Lunar Challenge websitehttps://breaktheicechallenge.com/NASA Lunabotics competition (student competition) webpagehttps://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/lunabotics-challenge/Fair Use Disclaimer: This video may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this video for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.Credits & Attributions:1. "[4K, 60 fps] Apollo 16 Lunar Rover 'Grand Prix' (1972 April 21, Moon)" — Film enhanced by Denis ShiryaevOriginal video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az9nFrnCK602. "Side view of the crater Moltke" — Photo taken during Apollo 10 by NASAPublic domain. NASA Apollo Archive, Image AS10-29-4324Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4691773. All student and competition photos provided by Paul van Susante.Remuneration Disclaimer: We were not remunerated in any way by the guest or their organization if any for this discussion. This show is for educational/commentary and entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be what is termed "professional advice".The Cold Star Project is sponsored in partnership by Cold Star Technologies and the Operational Excellence Society. Jason Kanigan is a member of the board of advisors of the OpEx Society.Jason's latest Space industry book, The Evolution of Space Entrepreneurship:https://coldstartech.com/evospaceCold Star Technologies website: https://www.coldstartech.comOperational Excellence Society website: https://www.opexsociety.orgAbout Jason Kanigan: https://jasonkanigan.com
Jacob Meyer, PhD, is VP of Technology at ATSP Innovations. He has experience with SBIRs and the struggles of creating commercial products from them. Host Jason Kanigan of the Cold Star Project discusses these challenges with Dr. Meyer. USEFUL LINKS: ATSP Innovations website: https://www.atspinnovations.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org America's Future Series: https://www.americas-fs.org/ Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Dr. Paul van Susante of Michigan Technological University, a past guest (link below), returns to the Cold Star Project. We're discussing his participation in a number of investigative projects and NASA challenges related to powering our first projects on the Moon. Host Jason Kanigan asks Paul about the: LuSTR grant NASA Watts on the Moon centennial challenge phase I, where they won the $100k grand prize for scenario 2. They submitted to Phase II, level 1 and were selected as one of 7 teams to advance to level 2 and received $200k NASA Break the Ice challenge centennial challenge phase I where they won a runner up prize ($25k). They submitted an entry to Break the Ice phase II, level 1 and were last month selected as one of 15 teams to advance to level 2 (all US teams (13) got $38.5k) Winning several other grants and are currently working on those related to landing pad construction, site preparation, hardware testing in their dusty thermal vacuum chamber as well. USEFUL LINKS: HuskyWorks website: https://huskyworks.space/ Paul's previous appearance on the Cold Star Project: https://coldstarproject.com/aus02e42paulvansusante OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org America's Future Series: https://www.americas-fs.org/ Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
President and CEO of Orbital Assembly Rhonda Stevenson is our guest this time on the Cold Star Project. With host Jason Kanigan she discusses the challenges of building a truly commercial space company. We cover the capabilities of Orbital Asembly, as well as Rhonda's personal efforts to build consortiums and attract customers to the space industry. USEFUL LINKS: Orbital Assembly website: https://orbitalassembly.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org America's Future Series: https://www.americas-fs.org/ Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Just because you CAN create a product doesn't mean you SHOULD. What Scaling Problems Can You Find In SBIR/STTR Product Commercialization? While small batches may work in the lab, commercializing will require large quantities and unexpected issues from supply chain through chemical reactions may change. The results from these issues may well prove the venture impossible to complete under current conditions. David Driscoll of Storm Castle joins Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan to discuss a real life example of struggling with scaling for commercialization. While the concept had been proven to work, making it happen at a scale that would make money turned out to be a dead end. Jason asks David: Q: What professional roles have you held? From what context are you speaking to these challenges? A: Glacigen (Founder), Montana State University (Senior Research Scientist), Storm Castle Technical Products (Current; Founder) Q: What was Glacigen all about? A: Commercialization of an advanced manufacturing technique; freeze tape casting. FTC is a hybridization of an industrial processing technique with well-established lab scale technique. It produces large area sheets of materials with highly engineered microstructures. Materials which have been known for a long time can exhibit great performance enhancement with new processing. (Flour, baking soda, eggs, sugar, etc…..could be awful or masterpiece it’s all in the processing. We tend to focus too easily on exotic alloys and entirely new materials (good and valuable), when opportunity is left on the table with respect to using existing ingredients better. Q: What kind of applications were you looking at? A: Started all over the board. FTC arrived as a solution looking for a problem. Composites of high temperature materials (hypersonics), solid oxide fuel cell electrodes, catalyst scaffolds, thermal interface materials, actuators….finally battery electrodes. In my eyes, battery electrodes represented the convergence of good technical fit with strong merit, market of relevant scale, and opportunity to address true customer pain point. Q: Which pain point is that, exactly? A: Specifically for customers of high performance applications: energy density (without destroying power density). Cost is important even for those with performance applications. Q: How did you realize commercializing this as a product, rather than having it remain as a lab invention, was important? A: That was intrinsic, and a primary motivating factor of launching Glacigen. I saw potential for real impact in the FTC process which obviously couldn’t be realized within academia. There was a commitment to commercialization from the outset, but some learning required to understand how that looks. Q: What steps did you take towards commercialization? What did you learn? (eg. would you start the process earlier?) A: Early steps were technically focused: scalability, repeatability, application-based proof of concept. Early strategic steps came after technical work, but work focused on matching applications with strong FTC applicability with customer needs ‘pain points.’ We began working with a company building EV batteries. This led to a great deal of learning that springboarded us towards conversations with larger and more established manufacturers. Engaging with the customer more intentionally, and much earlier would have been critical. The first level is understanding need, which we did reasonably well. We misidenitfied barriers to adoption, which could have - in retrospect been identified much sooner. Same applies to thinking you understand strength of market pull, pain points, value propositions etc. Those things need to be constantly tested and when necessary, iterated. USEFUL NOTES: Storm Castle Technical Products: https://www.stormcastletechnicalproducts.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org America's Future Series: https://www.americas-fs.org/ Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talk
Mike Read is in the role of Manager, ISS Business and Economic Development Office at NASA Johnson Space Center. But what does the International Space Station have to do with the commercialization of space? Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Mike: You have a non-engineering background yet are in the space field. Tell us about how this happened What is the scope of your responsibilities in the ISS Business and Economic Development Office? What constitutes a success over the period of a year? Can you share some recent wins? How long is the ISS expected to be available? If/when commercial operators have private space stations in orbit, is NASA expecting to simply be a customer? Who do you want to speak with? What makes a good discussion or project for you? Useful Links: Houston, We Have a Podcast 2019 interview with Mike Read: https://www.nasa.gov/johnson/HWHAP/space-tourism-and-commercialization OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
CEO of Compass Technology Group LLC Becky Schultz joins host Jason Kanigan on the Cold Star Project, and our topic of discussion is commercialization of products developed through SBIR/STTR grant funding. Jason asks Becky: Tell us about your background and its relevance to SBIR/STTR awards What was your initial intention in getting grant money: to develop tech/IP, or move towards commercializing a product? Why? Share your experience with the grant awards process…quirks, takeaways, frustrations What problem were you solving and how did you know the market would be interested in buying? Your focus on commercialization ⏤ success stories, struggles (supply chain, scaling manufacturing processes?) What do you recommend for those seeking grant funding, in terms of purpose/focus/approach/expectation. Useful Links: Compass Technology Group LLC website: https://compasstech.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
CU Aerospace President David Carroll kicks off a new season of the Cold Star Project as we discuss the challenges of productizing a new space tech invention. After the struggle of winning an SBIR, then developing the technology, what are the hurdles to commercializing the result? Host Jason Kanigan asks Dr. Carroll: What problem were you aiming to solve when you applied for the specific SBIR we're discussing today? Who was the customer or target user? How did you discover that a focus on having a customer was critical and a good starting point for tech development? What challenges did you have in getting the award, and then running the program? What conditions or advantages does having a partner eg. U of Illinois bring to the table? What have you seen in terms of grant awards that has made you scratch your head? USEFUL LINKS: CU Aerospace website: https://cuaerospace.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Space Force: 4 Things YOU Need to KNOW About the Future of Warfare - Interview with Joel MozerIn this revealing interview with Dr. Joel Mozer, retired Chief Scientist of the US Air Force and Space Force, discover insights reshaping America's Space Force and warfighting strategies. Based on a three-year study, Dr. Mozer reveals why space has hit a critical "tipping point", transforming from government-controlled frontier into the ultimate battleground where commercial companies, military forces, and national powers collide. This strategic reality is driving Pentagon decisions right now.Learn how the Space Force's dual mandate revolutionizes military strategy, why commercial space partnerships are America's secret weapon, and what capabilities the US must develop to maintain space supremacy. Dr. Mozer breaks down four critical observations from the multi-author official "Beyond the Tipping Point" report about warfare's future, revealing how space operations connect to every Earth mission.The Cold Star Project - Season 4, Episode 22Hosted, Directed, and Produced by Jason Kanigan“The real conversations behind the new space economy, defense tech, and policy—straight from the insiders building it.”PDF Report, "Beyond the Tipping Point:Space Strategic Foresight Implications forNational and United States Space Force (USSF)", Google Drive link:https://coldstarproject.com/mozerreportDr. Mozer's LinkedIn Profile:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-mozer-391a0058/Remuneration Disclaimer: We were not remunerated in any way by the guest or their organization if any for this discussion. This show is for educational/commentary and entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be what is termed "professional advice".The Cold Star Project is sponsored in partnership by Cold Star Technologies and the Operational Excellence Society. Jason Kanigan is a member of the board of advisors of the OpEx Society.Cold Star Technologies website: https://www.coldstartech.comOperational Excellence Society website: https://www.opexsociety.orgAbout Jason Kanigan: https://jasonkanigan.com
WWII Innovation Machine: Freedom's Forge and the Arsenal of Democracy - Interview with Bill ConleyHow did America transform from a peacetime economy to the "arsenal of democracy" before entering WWII? In this compelling interview, Dr. Bill Conley—former Director of Electronic Warfare at DARPA and current CTO at Mercury Systems—delves into the insights from Freedom's Forge by Arthur Herman. The book chronicles how industrial leaders like William Knudsen and Henry Kaiser revolutionized U.S. defense production.🔍 Key Discussion Points:William Knudsen's Leadership: How the former GM executive spearheaded wartime production efforts.Public-Private Collaboration: The synergy between government directives and industrial execution.Modern Parallels: Applying WWII strategies to today's defense challenges, including electronic warfare and supply chain resilience.Policy Implications: The impact of initiatives like the CHIPS Act and AUKUS on current defense manufacturing.Dr. Conley brings a unique perspective, bridging historical strategies with contemporary defense needs. His experience at DARPA and Mercury Systems offers valuable insights into how past successes can inform future innovations.📘 About Freedom's Forge: Arthur Herman's Freedom's Forge highlights the pivotal role of American industry in WWII, emphasizing the importance of leadership, innovation, and collaboration in overcoming monumental challenges.The Cold Star Project - Season 4, Episode 21Hosted, Directed, and Produced by Jason KaniganFair Use Disclaimer: This video may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this video for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.Remuneration Disclaimer: We were not remunerated in any way by the guest or their organization if any for this discussion. This show is for educational/commentary and entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be what is termed "professional advice".The Cold Star Project is sponsored in partnership by Cold Star Technologies and the Operational Excellence Society. Jason Kanigan is a member of the board of advisors of the OpEx Society.Cold Star Technologies website: https://www.coldstartech.comOperational Excellence Society website: https://www.opexsociety.orgAbout Jason Kanigan: https://jasonkanigan.com
"Supercharging the DEFENSE Innovation Game for an Unrivaled Advantage!"with guest Mike BrownThe Cold Star Project - Season 4, Episode 20Hosted, Directed, and Produced by Jason KaniganWar On the Rocks article:https://warontherocks.com/2023/09/revisiting-the-hedge-strategy-with-renewed-urgency/Fast Follower Strategy paper:https://coldstarproject.com/fastfollowerThis video contains clips from the following copyrighted works used under Fair Use for commentary/criticism purposes:The Final Countdown (1980) - © United Artists / MGMThe Color of Money (1986) - © Touchstone Pictures / Walt Disney StudiosTop Gun: Maverick (2022) - © Paramount PicturesModern Marvels DVD - © A&E Networks / History ChannelCold War (CNN Documentary Series) - © CNN ProductionsTHAAD Missile Defense: How it Works - © Fox Business Network/Fox CorporationRaytheon's Ballistic Missile Defense Systems Provide Layered Defense Around the World - © Raytheon Technologies (RTX)All copyrighted content remains the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.Music: "Per Kiilstofte - Dystopia" / perkiilstofte Royalty Free Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/dystopia-songThis show is for educational/commentary and entertainment purposes only and is not meant to be what is termed "professional advice".The Cold Star Project is sponsored in partnership by Cold Star Technologies and the Operational Excellence Society. Jason Kanigan is a member of the board of advisors of the OpEx Society.Cold Star Technologies website: https://www.coldstartech.comOperational Excellence Society website: https://www.opexsociety.orgAbout Jason Kanigan: https://jasonkanigan.com
Past Defense Innovation Unit Director, visiting Scholar at Stanford, former large tech company CEO, and current venture capitalist Mike Brown is this interview guest on the Cold Star Project. Host Jason Kanigan asks Mike about the role of commercial technology in Great Power competition. We discuss: what "commercial technology" is (not just silicon chips) the organizing principle of commercial tech development for great powers, and whether there is a difference in war or peacetime what national leaders frequently fail to focus on that punishes the nation what the focus of tech dev in peacetime is, and whether the speed of that development matters when war begins the shocking truth about the defense industrial base and the tiny number of companies funded by Pentagon spending (6 vendors receive 2/3 of all Pentagon procurement spending) infiltration of US commercial tech dev by foreign powers through venture investment, and just how meaningful this is the question Peter Zeihan poses about the breakdown of the global supply chain, and whether we in the US ought to be concerned. USEFUL LINKS: Mike Brown's 2017 DIUx Report: https://www.k-state.edu/research/faculty/other-resources/facility-security-office/documents/diux-study.pdf Secret History of Silicon Valley slides download from my Google Drive: https://coldstartech.com/steveblank Innovating Victory: Naval Technology in Three Wars by O'Hara and Heinz: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682477320/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
"Recovering aerospace engineer" Rand Simberg is on the Cold Star Project to discuss three space industry issues. With host Jason Kanigan, Rand elaborates on: Overvaluing "safety first" in the space industry, and his book, Safe Is Not An Option Building codes for orbital, cislunar, and BEO facilities (which do not exist yet The uniqueness and benefits of equatorial LEO. USEFUL LINKS: Safe Is Not An Option book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Not-Option-Rand-Simberg/dp/0989135519/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Paul Rulkens is frequently hired by organizations looking to install or improve their high performance culture. Examples are KPMG, Nestle, Uber, Siemens, and Mercedes Benz. But what does this mean in practical terms? What are these leaders bringing Paul Rulkens in to do? Jason Kanigan of the Cold Star Project continues the conversation with Paul about what it takes to have a high performance culture. USEFUL LINKS: Paul Rulkens website: https://www.paulrulkens.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Robert Twiggs and Matt Craft, through Twiggs Space Labs, have run pilot Space and STEM / STEAM training programs for kids through the state of Virginia. Bob Twiggs is known as the "Father of the CubSat" for his co-development of the CubeSat standard. As they expand to serve the rest of the United States, Bob and Matt appear on the Cold Star Project to share their practices and vision. Host Jason Kanigan asks Bob and Matt about their: Personal histories Products & program Benefits for students, teachers, space & defense businesses and the nation from the STEM / STEAM training Experience with Virginia, NASA Expectations with Primes Next Steps for themselves and those wanting to be involved. USEFUL LINKS: Twiggs Space Lab (TSL) website: https://twiggsspacelab.com/ TSL is very interested in working with academic institutions, aerospace and defense companies, technology companies, and federal agencies, including NASA, DoD, and NOAA. The support can take many forms including: Participating in outreach programs and mentoring students Sponsoring STEM programs by purchasing STEM products for schools Sponsoring STEM Challenges (CanSat, PocketQubes, etc.) Consulting with and advising TSL of critical skill development opportunities Promoting TSL programs and products Financial support through grants or buying STEM products for schools. Please feel free to contact TSL at bob.twiggs@twiggsspacelab.com ormatt.craft@twiggsspacelab.com Talk to Cold Star: https://www.coldstartech.com/bookcall
Bill Conley was a DARPA Program Manager, then the US Department of Defense's expert on electronic warfare for four years, and is now Chief Technology Officer at Mercury Systems. Our topic is a comparison of the 19th Century's Concert of Europe vs Modern Day's communication and methods of deterrence. Cold Star Project host Jason Kanigan asks Bill Conley: What is effective communication, especially in context of diplomacy and deterrence of conflict? Why doesn’t the Behavioralist/Rational Economics approach work in practice when it comes to national conflicts? Do you believe the match-up of 2020s China-US is similar to the 1910s UK-German? Are there historical correlations? The WWI era was about the disintegration of the old order, and paradigm shifts. Are there indicators of a similar instability of the existing order today? As a nation’s capabilities increase, so do its ambitions. Many of these ambitions seem to end up with the idea of autarky. Do you believe we’re close to experiencing another such outbreak of these ideas today? How could a modern day China-US conflict proceed? USEFUL LINKS: "Mitchell Hour: State of Electronic Warfare in the DOD" [Dr. Conley lecture]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR_PPGDnejo "What Is Eurasia?" [Dr. Stephen Kotkin lecture]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ghn1X7sRFs Mercury Systems website: https://www.mrcy.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org America's Future Series: https://www.americas-fs.org/ Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Sales trainer Wes Schaeffer is back on the Cold Star Project, and our topic is his free 12 Weeks To Peak sales accountability program. Host Jason Kanigan participated in 2022 Q4's version and 12 Weeks To Peak has been re-released for 2023. The two sales trainers share elements and results of this free accountability program for founders and salespeople. Come along with us and find out if it's right for you! USEFUL LINKS: 12 Weeks To Peak website: https://info.thesaleswhisperer.com/12-weeks-to-peak Jason Kanigan's Effective Prospecting video series: https://jasonkanigan.com/ytep Past appearances of Wes Schaeffer on the Cold Star Project: "What CRM Should I Get?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv2JAgKPzHY "Process Before Login" (choosing a CRM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRE5MYudGQM OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous
Past Chief Software Officer of the US Space Force and Air Force Nic Chaillan is back on the Cold Star Project. Over the past year, Nic has developed his own learning platform, Learn With Nic. He has also hosted his own show, In The Nic Of Time. Host Jason Kanigan asks Nic: What have you learned in running your own show, In The Nic Of Time? What have you learned about the general state of software security in the US from your guests? Did this confirm what you already were aware of, or did they add any detail? If you could wave a magic wand and have leaders and developers realize some fundamentals of DevSecOps that are practical to implement as well as effective, what would a couple of those be? Are you still convinced we’re lagging and that China is going to overtake and “beat” us? How do you define that: simply economically, or technologically, militarily? What can we do about it, and are you seeing any evidence of leadership attempting to take action? I hear more and more Americans becoming concerned about TikTok, even leaders in fields I thought would be far away from the edges of national security. I believe we should be more explicit about what can be done with TikTok, beyond “they’re collecting all our data!”. Have your thoughts about TikTok evolved over the past year? What’s your opinion about the InfraGard hack? To me this seems like “the security guys got hacked”. What could have been done to stop this from happening? Is it symptomatic of a condition or just bad luck? What other kinds of software-based platforms should we be worried about the security of? Teach us a couple of DevSecOps terms that are probably new to us. USEFUL LINKS: Learn With Nic platform: https://www.learnwithnic.com/ OpEx Society: https://www.opexsociety.org Get new episodes directly in your inbox: https://www.coldstartech.com/msb Talk to Cold Star: https://coldstartech.com/talktous