BEST8A Podcast

Episode 77: How the Government Really Buys Technology with Scotty Stock

Scotty Stock is a Chief Warrant Officer in the United States Army Reserve with over two decades of military experience, from fixing laundry units in Iraq to managing the classified IT architecture that keeps Army Reserve intelligence soldiers ready to fight. In this episode, Scotty breaks down how the government actually procures technology from the inside. He walks through the full cycle from articulating requirements and navigating budget processes to using contract vehicles like CHESS and ITES-3S, and explains why most procurement failures start with a poorly written statement of work.

Episode 76: Equity, Scaling, and the AI Edge with Naveen Krishnamurthy

Naveen Krishnamurthy, CEO of Riva Solutions, joins the show to trace his path from the dot-com bust to building a federal contracting firm over 17 years. He shares hard-won advice on scaling from small to mid-size, why founders shouldn't give away equity too quickly, and how to mature a delivery organization past the $30M mark. The conversation also digs into where the industry is heading — vehicle consolidation, the rise of "prove-it" procurements, and why he's betting big on AI across his business. His parting message to fellow leaders: don't sleep on it, or you'll fall behind. 

Episode 75: 20 Years of GovCon Pricing Secrets with Chris Wicke

Chris Wicke has spent 20+ years pricing government contracts. In this episode, he breaks down the biggest mistakes small businesses make when pricing proposals, why pricing during capture is non-negotiable, and how to build a price-to-win analysis that actually tells you something. He also shares his take on the new executive order pushing the market back toward firm fixed price — and what that means for vendors competing right now. 

Episode 74: Power Plants, Government Freezes, and the Road to $10 Million with Curtis Porter

Curtis Porter, President of Innovative Works, went from $5-an-hour electrician helper to building an automation and controls firm serving NIH, the State Department, and private energy companies across the country. In this episode he traces the full journey: the early career detour that gave him hands-on skills most engineers never develop, the years at GE commissioning power plants he had no business being alone at, and what it actually felt like to win a federal contract, order the equipment, hire the people, and then watch the government freeze all spending for six months. He closes with where he is taking Innovative Works next and the one problem every small firm eventually runs into.

Episode 73: Burnout, Service, and the Future of GovCon with Indira Rice Donegan

Indira Rice Donegan is a Signal Corps veteran, CEO of RIDO technology consulting, and board leader across some of the most influential organizations in the federal space, including AFCEA, and the Albert J. Meyer Signal Corps Regimental Association. In this episode, she shares her take on burnout and why she doesn't subscribe to it, how service organizations build real relationships in GovCon, and what the current administration's priorities around DOGE cuts and AI mean for the future of federal contracting.