TBD Touchpoint (Feb 15)
Attendees: Dustin J Ross, Bliss Perry Date: February 15, 2026 Type: Partner Session
Summary
Meeting Context & Structure
- Strategy session on supply chain intelligence business model
- Focus on creating presentation for Steve Blank meeting
- Timeline: Document draft by end of day, iteration tomorrow, deep research query on other industries
Document Review & Content Assessment
- Reviewed comprehensive business model document covering data asset creation
- Structure praised: bullet points, logical flow, TLDR format
- Content deemed factual and well-researched
- Data sources (10-Ks, supplier networks) make sense
- Technical architecture solid
- Zero-to-one strategy reasonable hypothesis
- Best section: “How to create data asset from scratch” - clear 48-month plan
Business Model Framework
- Core insight: Oil industry has financial/insurance products that semiconductors lack
- Missing: hedging instruments, marketplace intelligence, coordination platforms
- Data asset creation strategy:
- Incentivize customers to contribute proprietary data
- Use compliance workflows as initial wedge
- Build intelligence platform
- Enable financial/insurance product creation
- Compliance wedges identified:
- ITAR export controls
- Sanctions/denied party screening
- Forced labor compliance (UFLPA)
- Government contract supply chain disclosure
- CFIUS exposure mapping
Current Hypothesis & Positioning
- Primary hypothesis: Semiconductor compliance as wedge to compile data asset → supply chain intelligence → financial/insurance products
- Based on desktop research only - no customer validation yet
- Need to identify specific real problem and customer for zero-to-one building
- Approach for Steve Blank meeting:
- Present facts honestly about research depth
- Frame as hypothesis requiring validation
- Ask for guidance on problem identification
Presentation Strategy
- Structure using “Why, How, What” framework (Simon Sinek reference)
- Start with vision, work down to specifics (opposite of current document)
- Key sections needed:
- Why we’re here (inspired by “semis are new oil”)
- What we discovered (oil vs. semiconductor gaps)
- How data asset would work (visual flowcharts/matrices)
- Specific wedge hypotheses
- Where do we go from here?
- Make visual and succinct for external audience
Next Steps
- Bliss: Create presentation version with visual elements by end of day
- Focus on iteration over perfection
- Include flowcharts and matrices for data asset concept
- Both: Review and iterate tomorrow after skiing
- Tomorrow evening: Fire off deep research query for other industries (batteries, rare earth minerals, quantum computing, nuclear energy, robotics)
- Wednesday: Holland lunch discussion about Hacking for Defense (noon)
- Goal: Move from synthesis phase to customer input phase - “dozens of calls per week”