About
The story behind Indy-Pendent Solutions and flowState Software.
I have spent 20+ years moving through every phase of defense acquisition - from writing requirements as an acquisition officer, to flying the missions those requirements supported, to building the systems, testing them, managing programs, and now capturing new business. That path gives me something most consultants do not have: I know what works because I have done the work from every angle.
The Journey
My career started in Air Force acquisition, where I learned how the government buys things from the inside. Then life took an unexpected turn - I deployed as a counter-IED specialist, which led me to combat rescue helicopters (HH-60G Pave Hawks). Flying rescue missions in Afghanistan and Africa taught me more about mission focus and teamwork than any business school ever could. After the Air Force, I worked as a systems engineer at a large defense prime, then went back to government service as an operational test manager at AATC in Tucson. Each role showed me a different piece of the puzzle - how requirements get written, how systems get built, and how they get tested.
Eventually I returned to industry as a program manager, running a $60M portfolio before joining a small defense contractor. That is where things really clicked. I moved from capture manager to business development director to running an entire business unit. Along the way, our team grew that unit from $2M to $10.6M and helped scale the company from $20M to $62M. I also had the privilege of leading capture for what became the company's largest contract win in its 20-year history. Those experiences - the wins and the lessons learned from the losses - shaped everything I do now.
Why Software
Small government contractors need systematic capture discipline, but they cannot afford dedicated capture managers or enterprise tools like Deltek. I built flowState Software because I kept seeing companies lose opportunities due to disorganized pipelines and inefficient workflows - problems that do not require expensive consultants, just better systems.
Purpose-built tools that give small GovCon shops the same systematic capture discipline that big primes have.
The Differentiator
I have been the government buyer, the end user, the systems engineer, the test evaluator, the program manager, and the capture strategist. I know what source selection teams look for because I have been on source selection teams. I know what makes a credible cost estimate because I have defended them to DCMA. I know what wins proposals because I have led the captures. That experience shapes every tool we build - software designed by someone who has actually done the work from every angle.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
CAGE Code: 111Q5
UEI: YD5NBEBW5X36
Let's Talk
Whether you need capture tools, cost estimation, or proposal management.