Critics of federal agencies often point to outdated processes as proof that government is broken. Justin Fulcher sees it another way.

After six months as a senior advisor at the Department of Defense, the technology founder argues that old procedures usually trace back to decades of decisions. Each one was logical when made. Few were ever fully revisited. The result can look like dysfunction from outside, but Fulcher calls it inertia, and he believes the distinction matters.

Why the Difference Counts

Inertia and dysfunction call for different responses. Treating every legacy process as a mistake can lead reformers to discard safeguards that still serve a purpose. Treating every process as sacred leaves the institution stuck.

“The Pentagon doesn’t run only on strategy decks,” Justin Fulcher has said. “It runs on relationships, institutional knowledge, and a set of processes that were built for a different era. The work is figuring out which of those constraints are worth preserving and which ones are just costing the Department time.”

Fulcher’s assignment, working under Secretary Hegseth, focused on acquisition reform and IT modernization. He describes the Department as relying on infrastructure that predates the problems it now confronts. Artificial intelligence offers one way forward, provided it integrates cleanly with existing workflows.

A View Built From the Inside

Justin Fulcher credits his time in government with making institutional drag legible. Working to modernize the Department’s tools showed him details that outside engagement would never surface. He considers sorting inertia from dysfunction a basic responsibility for anyone advising on consequential technology.

The idea connects to his earlier work. At RingMD, the telehealth startup he built, success depended on fitting technology to the constraints of markets with weak infrastructure rather than wishing those constraints away.

Fulcher now uses this experience to argue that founders should consider a stint in public service. Some observers see the gap between Pentagon capabilities and mission needs as permanent. Justin Fulcher reads it differently: the problems are structural, and they respond to people who engage with them directly. See related link for additional information.

Visit his page on https://www.instagram.com/justinfulcher/?hl=en, to learn more.