February 2026: The Dcode Debrief

/ From PEO to PAE: Operating Model, not Org Chart

At a surface level, the shift from Program Executive Officer (PEO) to Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) might look like the latter is a bigger version of the former. Not so.

The real change is deeper and demands an operating model fit for purpose. Add a CEO mindset to hard thinking about decision rights, incentives, and tradeoff mechanisms, and PAEs will deliver capability – not just compliance.

We offer this roadmap that lays out the critical few elements for success..

/ Meagan Metzger Named a 2026 Federal 100 Awardee

Operating model is where reform becomes real. But getting it right isn’t easy. At the acquisition level, what ultimately matters is whether an organization has an integrated, repeatable pathway to turn urgent operational needs and operator-led innovation into scalable capability.

That’s the work Dcode CEO Meagan Metzger has been driving alongside senior service acquisition leaders over the past year. For helping turn reform into execution at scale, Meagan has been named a GovExec 2026 Federal 100 awardee. Congratulations, Meagan!

Read more here.

/ Deciphering Venture Capital

It’s one of the questions we get the most: what’s venture capital really all about, and what does that mean for the Department of War? As a company that uniquely sits at the nexus of government, emerging tech, and VC – including making our own investments – we have answers.

In our newest video, Dcode CRO and Dcode Capital General Partner Meg Vorland and Dcode Capital Managing Partner Rebecca Gevalt break down the fundamentals of venture capital - and explain how government leaders can engage VCs and their portfolio companies more effectively to support national missions and modern acquisition objectives.

Watch the full video here.

/ Join Our April Accelerator Cohort!

Proud of the company we keep!

These are just a few of the standout teams that have come through the Dcode Federal Accelerator - and gone on to build, win, and scale in the federal market.

If you’re a commercial tech company ready to break into government (or accelerate what’s already working), we just opened recruitment for our next cohort, starting in April.

Apply here.

V/r, Dcode

Follow Dcode on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcodethegov/