Breaking the Sabotage Cycle

This paper exposes how the Department of Defense has inadvertently adopted the tactics from a 1944 CIA sabotage manual—referring decisions to committees, insisting on perfect documentation, and applying rigid regulations—that now undermine modern software delivery. Author Jenn Spykerman demonstrates how these well-intentioned processes have become the greatest obstacle to delivering mission-critical capabilities to warfighters who need them.

This comprehensive guide provides DOD acquisition professionals with a practical roadmap for implementing the Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP), featuring real-world case studies from successful programs like Navy Forge and Kessel Run. The paper systematically addresses four critical transformation areas: developing transformative leadership, shifting from milestone-driven to momentum-driven processes, implementing DevSecOps as infrastructure rather than theater, and providing a concrete 90-day adoption framework. Through detailed analysis and field-tested strategies, it shows how to reverse decades of self-sabotage and deliver software that accelerates mission success rather than bureaucratic compliance.

What's inside

• Process Revolution — Replace rigid milestones with continuous user feedback and iterative capability releases.
• Leadership Framework — Build leaders who create psychological safety and operate across vision, systems, and action.
• Practical Implementation — Apply a field-tested 90-day adoption guide with concrete steps and proven strategies.
• Mission Focus — Prioritize working software in warfighters' hands over documentation completeness.