In episode one of Building the Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with Balan Ayyar, retired US Air Force General Officer and now CEO of Percipient AI, a Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence and machine learning firm. Balan's unique background, spanning military service, government IT, and startup leadership, provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of national security and technology innovation.

Bullet-Pointed Topics Discussed:

• Balan Ayyar's Personal Journey: Balan shares his immigrant background, family inspiration, and how he transitioned from a distinguished military career to becoming a tech entrepreneur.

• Fundraising Challenges: We hear the early challenges of securing investment in the national security and intelligence technology sector and the skepticism faced by startups like Percipient AI.

• The Fast-Moving Nature of Technology: Balan highlights the rapid evolution of AI and machine learning technologies, making government requirements quickly outdated and challenging for primes to keep up.

• Incentivizing Primes and Government Agencies: The conversation emphasizes the need to align incentives for defense primes to adopt commercial technologies and for government agencies to prioritize solutions that improve user experiences and operational effectiveness.

• Mission-Tuned Software: The importance of customizing or "mission tuning" software to meet the specific needs of national security and intelligence organizations is discussed, emphasizing the need for dedicated efforts from technology companies in this space.