The a16z Show Security, Resilience, and the Future of Mobile Infrastructure
62 snips
Mar 26, 2026 
John Doyle, Cape founder and former Army Green Beret, joins Justin Fanelli, U.S. Navy CTO and veteran defense tech leader. They dig into the Salt Typhoon telecom breach, secure mobile networks built on compromised infrastructure, and how the Navy is speeding up software buying. They also explore fast pilots in Guam, startup momentum in government, and where defense tech is headed.
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The Navy Had To Relearn How To Buy Software
- Justin Fanelli says the Navy's real adoption bottleneck was internal, not startup supply.
- They ran bootcamps for program managers and contracting officers to do commercial software buys in three months instead of 18.
How A Guam Pilot Started From A Simulated Breach
- John Doyle met Justin Fanelli after CAPE proved it could run trusted cellular service over simulated compromised telecom infrastructure.
- That discussion led to a Guam pilot backed by DIU, a prime contractor, and explicit success metrics before execution.
Outcome Translation Matters More Than Technical Brilliance
- Justin Fanelli argues new technology only spreads if teams translate technical claims into mission outcomes others can repeat.
- He pushed small ahead-of-need bets, clear business cases, and A/B pilots so a few wins could unlock 25 pilots instead of five.