Lunch + Brainstorm: Bliss + Dustin

Attendees: Dustin Jeremy, Bliss Perry Date: November 9, 2025 Type: Partner Session

Summary

Why-How-What Structure: Start with why (mission), then how (process), then what (specific actions)
- Personal goals: Both aim for halls of power in 25 years, tech company leadership in 5 years, deployment mode in 1 year
- Project mission: Put US on front foot in multipolar world
- Alignment between personal and professional objectives identified as key success factor

Core Problem: US operating with unipolar mentality in multipolar reality
- Dissonance between 1990s framework and current global dynamics
- US not acknowledging shifting power balance with China, India, Europe
Key Players Assessment:
- US-China as primary poles
- India as major swing state (will likely align with US long-term but remain autonomous)
- Russia as declining wild card, not true pole
- Gulf states as mediators/middlemen between poles
- Europe as US strategic appendage

Triangle Model: Intersection of geopolitics, economics, and technology
- Tech leads to economic leverage, which leads to geopolitical power
- Focus on edges between categories rather than individual poles
US-China Structural Differences:
- US: Capitalist economy using socialist military procurement (F-35 program example)
- China: Communist state using market mechanisms for national security (civil-military fusion)
- China better at deploying private sector innovation for government use

Problem: US only focused on maintaining leads, not closing gaps where behind
- More energy spent defending territory than gaining new ground
- Need to copy China’s playbook in areas where US is lagging
Solution Framework: Make US fast follower in key technology areas
- Robotics, drones, shipbuilding identified as areas where China leads
- Focus on raising floor vs always raising ceiling
- Aggressive IP acquisition and research lab infiltration proposed

People Categories to Contact:
1. Professors (easiest access)
2. Students (immediate availability)
3. Political decision makers and experts
4. Emerging technology category practitioners
5. Military contacts
Specific Targets Identified:
- Dr. Richard Dasher (US-Asia Technology Management Center) - meeting scheduled Friday 11:30
- Condoleezza Rice (Jbperry to lead outreach)
- Kevin Rudd (Dustin to lead outreach)
- Niall Ferguson (Jbperry connection)
- Alexander Vindman
- Various GSB classmates: Jasper, Gurchit, Rajan, Thomas Stone, David Leong

Division of Labor:
- Jbperry: 80% desktop research, analytical frameworks, tool creation
- Dustin: 80% people outreach, meeting scheduling, networking
Tools to Create:
- Shared Google Drive for research
- Shared calendar for meetings
- Trello board for task management
- Competition map showing US vs China positions across technology categories

Scheduled Sessions:
- Monday lunch check-ins during semester
- Big session: Monday Dec 1, 4-7pm (post-Thanksgiving)
- Finals week session: Tuesday Dec 9, 3-6pm
- Michael McFaul meeting: January 8, 1-1:45pm
Immediate Timeline: 48 hours for initial outreach, 1 week for research framework setup

Purpose: Use conference as umbrella for high-level meetings and data gathering
- Provides legitimate reason to contact senior figures
- Creates structured way to test hypotheses with experts
- Planned for Q1 next year if project gains traction

Primary: US-China technology competition
Secondary Learning Opportunities:
- Saudi Arabia: Tech investment and data center development
- India: Technology deployment and economic development
- Israel/Ukraine: Defense innovation under pressure
Clearance Considerations: Jbperry cannot visit China or engage with Chinese military/defense contacts

Jbperry Actions:
- Create project management tools (Google Drive, calendar, Trello)
- Develop initial competition map framework
- Outreach to Condoleezza Rice, Niall Ferguson, Rajan
- Identify research sources and synthesize initial findings
Dustin Actions:
- Populate contact database from meeting notes
- Lead outreach to Kevin Rudd, Dr. Dasher, Alexander Vindman
- Schedule and coordinate meetings
- Synthesize framework into one-pager for distribution
Joint Actions:
- Attend Dr. Dasher meeting Friday 11:30
- Weekly check-ins and bi-weekly deep dives
- Develop mission statement and sample agenda for external meetings