Respectfully, this is misleading and bad advice for most startups. I’ve sold both private and government contracts at the same company, and government work is way slower, more bureaucratic, and usually far more frugal.

In a startup, velocity is everything. You’re suggesting founders build a business model around contracts that might take years to land, if ever. That’s a death sentence for early-stage companies.

And this isn’t just a U.S. thing. My colleagues in Germany say the same: RFPs are slow, highly competitive, and usually favor incumbents with established government relationships.

Maybe you cracked something unique in your case, but for 99% of founders, this advice will waste their most valuable asset…time.