The Summit Explorer BLOG

Someone told me recently that I’m “prolific” on LinkedIn. After I LOLd, I took it as a compliment… but it’s not intentional. I’m just consistent about sharing how I think, what I’m seeing, and where I disagree with the status quo. That habit has paid off in ways I didn’t expect.

The government is moving toward a commercial-first mindset, and if you’re still treating that like marketing spin instead of an acquisition strategy shift, you’re already behind.

Building a growth team isn’t about hiring a proposal manager, a BD person, and calling it done. It’s about sequencing, clarity, and not pretending this is still a Shipley flowchart from the late ’90s.

In the Lunar calendar, each year is tied to an animal and an element. The Horse represents movement, stamina, independence, and forward motion. Fire adds urgency and intensity. Put them together and you get a year that rewards momentum and punishes hesitation.

Market research is not a sales exercise. It’s not a downselect. It’s not your moment to prove you’re “best in class.” It’s the government trying to figure out what they should buy, how risky it is, how much it should cost, and how to structure the acquisition so it doesn’t blow up later. Your response isn’t meant to sell them. It’s meant to help them think.

A high-performing proposal team today isn’t defined by headcount. It’s defined by how intelligently they think, how efficiently they work, and how well they use the tools available — including AI — without letting them become a crutch. Here’s what a modern winning team actually looks like.

Here’s the reality: the federal government never stopped buying. What changed is how it buys, how fast decisions get made, and how much tolerance buyers have for noise, confusion, and unnecessary risk.

If you want to win consistently, you need capture — and you need to do it with intention. This guide breaks it down: the steps, the strategy, and yes… the parts everyone conveniently ignores.