What the winners have in common
Why it matters: These six companies took different doors, but the same few moves show up again and again.
- Soldiers used it first Skydio, Red Cat and Neros were rated by operators before the big award. See chapters 03 and 09.
- Blue-listed at selection The Army picked PDW and Anduril drones that were already on the Blue list. See chapter 01.
- Small award, then scale Shield AI's first DIU contract was $1.4M; Anduril's first Marine Corps order was a small slice of the ceiling. See chapters 05 and 06.
- Use the buyer's vehicle PDW and Anduril were bought through an existing Defense Logistics Agency contract. See chapters 11 and 12.
- Sell the outcome The Coast Guard bought drone surveillance as a service, operators included. See chapter 15.
- Production is the product Drone Dominance scores supply chain and delivery. Neros led on cheap volume. See chapter 03 and Template H.
Do this next · Map Your Path
- Pick the pattern closest to your stage
- Name the door it points to and read that chapter
- List the proof you already have: tests, Blue or Green status, deliveries
- Pick the first small award you could win, and the buyer vehicle it would use
What this means for you
None of these companies won on a demo alone. Each one combined proof in soldiers' hands, compliance done early and a way for the buyer to pay.
Next step: Pick the pattern closest to your stage and map it to one door in the pathway map.