MTG: Bliss + Dustin <> Joe Malchow + Ali Keshavarzi

Attendees: Bliss Perry, Dustin Ross, Joe Malchow, Ali Keshavarzi Date: March 18, 2026 Type: Expert Meeting Source: Signal chat debrief (meeting held same day as H.R. McMaster meeting)

Summary

Context

This meeting was held the same day as the H.R. McMaster advisor session. Joe Malchow is a policy/tech figure with Thiel network connections. Ali Keshavarzi provided the most tactically actionable insights. Both were encountered in the broader McMaster meeting cluster.

Key Insight: Probabilistic Modeling, Not Binary Certification

The most important output from this meeting was a reframe of the product proposition:

“It’s not a certification that there is no China; it’s a probabilistic dynamic model that can help figure out the scenarios and probability of different cost outcomes.”

This shifts the product from a binary compliance check (pass/fail) to a dynamic risk model — more defensible, more useful, and more aligned with how sophisticated buyers actually think.

Key Insight: Cost Engineers Are the Real Budget Holders

“Cost engineers — these are the people in the company with a lot of power/value.”

This contradicts the assumption that compliance teams or supply chain teams are the primary buyers. Cost engineers hold budget authority and are motivated by scenario modeling and cost outcome optimization — a more tractable buyer persona.

Framing: Enabling Globalization

Dustin’s post-meeting note: founders should frame their product as “enabling the globalization of tomorrow” — building tools that help companies maintain global supply chains under increasing regulatory and geopolitical pressure.

Intros Offered by Ali Keshavarzi

Pending follow-up intros:

• Microsoft Chief Economist
• Former McKinsey partner
• Exxon contact

Outcomes

• Founders decided not to immediately update their OnePager based on single conversation — “we should put a little more thought into that, chew on some of these ideas more before codifying them”
• Press release updated to reflect “enabling the globalization of tomorrow” framing
• Next meeting requested

Next Steps

• Schedule follow-up meeting
• Request specific intros from Ali: Microsoft Chief Economist, Exxon contact