Jan 21, 2026
January 2026: The Dcode Debrief
/ Change the Model…Dividends or No Dividends
The latest reform topic confronting the defense industrial base is the question of dividends and stock buybacks versus reinvestment in capacity.
These things may matter for large incumbents. But Dcode CEO Meagan Metzger, in a short but viral LinkedIn commentary, argued that venture-backed and emerging tech companies lay all their investment on the line in product and delivery, yet still struggle to break through with the Department of War.
Better operating models and incentives will make the real difference. Read Meagan’s call to action here.
/ A Guided Tour of How Dcode Changes the Operating Model
The response to Meagan’s post underscores how widely felt these challenges are – and how persistent the gap remains between intent and execution. That gap is what much of our work at Dcode is designed to address.
As we previewed in last month’s newsletter, we rebuilt our website to reflect how we actually work with federal partners and technology companies: holistically, and focused on the levers that make commercial tech move quickly and effectively to where it’s needed – delivering outcomes that matter.
At a high level, we reframe the operating model to align incentives, accountability, and urgency:
Moving technology from pilot to program through executable acquisition pathways
→ Rapid Acquisition Integration Cell (RAIC)
Navigating barriers inside the system using every available authority, waiver, and exception
→ The Dcode Win Framework
Expanding access so venture-backed and emerging companies can engage and deliver
→ Federal Accelerator
See it all here: https://dcode.co/.
/ Upcoming Events that Help You Change the Model
Join these senior government leaders shaping Air Force modernization and national cybersecurity:
Jan 22, 2p EST: Col. George Dougherty, Director of Innovation, DAF PAE C3BM on how companies can engage with this new Portfolio Acquisition Executive organization:
Register here for Col. Dougherty
Jan 29, 2p EST: Nick Andersen, Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on CISA’s cybersecurity priorities and how emerging companies can work with the agency:
Register here for Nick Andersen
And learn about venture capital from the experts:
Feb 5, 2p EST: Senior government leaders have been directed to buy more commercial and understand the private sector. Dcode Capital partners Meg Vorland and Rebecca Gevalt break down the fundamentals of venture capital and how private-sector financing influences the technologies the federal government is able to adopt.
/ Congratulations, Pryzm!
Huge congratulations to Pryzm on their $12.2M seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism fund! Dcode is proud to count Pryzm as an alumni of the Federal Accelerator.
Pryzm is bringing real speed and clarity to federal acquisition, helping government teams move faster and giving industry a smarter path to identify opportunities and compete on capability.
If you’re building for the federal market and want to accelerate your growth, learn more about how we can help here.
V/r, Dcode
Follow Dcode on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dcodethegov/