Hacking for Defense (H4D)

Hacking for defense is an education initiative sponsored by the U.S. Government proponent, the MD5 National Security Technology Accelerator at the National Defense University, and was originally created at Stanford by Pete Newell, Joe Felter, Professor Tom Byers, and Steve Blank, and has been wildly successful. Teams of 3-5 students from interdisciplinary backgrounds work together to solve real-world national security challenges given to them by problem sponsors inside the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Using Lean Startup Methodology, and working closely with their problem sponsors, mentors, and liaisons, teams rapidly iterate to bring a product or service “to market.”

The Hacking for defense initiative aims to attract a diverse group of students that include engineers, law students, MBA students, veterans and military fellows, and even foreign veterans. Students will be drawn to the challenge of solving tough real-world problems, and applied their carefully honed technical and management skills in a high-pressure environment that replicates a fast-paced startup company. The participants will be probed to face problems and scenarios well outside the academic sphere and relish the opportunity to perform a national service.

Students in the H4D course learn a new way of thinking about problems. What's more, they are able to experience national service in a unique way. H4D lets students work on difficult problems that affect the people who protect them.

In addition, participating government organizations learn the lean methodology alongside H4D students and gain a common language for innovation. Government participants and students also build relationships that will improve networking and collaboration, particularly as students build careers after graduating. These shared lessons and relationships are the essence of the H4D "Innovation Insurgency": training and educating current and future leaders in government, academia and industry with a goal of hardwiring the national security enterprise to solve mission-critical problems with speed and innovation.