Tosan Mogbeyiteren, Founder & Program Director, Black Swan Tech Ltd

Black Swan generally works with the government because our solutions are in the development challenges. They are the only ones with the skill and the reach. There are like three key elements that I think we have been able to master that give us the edge in our partnerships with the government.

The one that's in their immediate sphere of influence is demonstrating technical mastery. As entrepreneurs, especially as a startup, your real key value proposition is being technically astute about the challenge that you hope to address. The technical depth in our team is incredible. And this is something that we invest in significantly, because that's our key edge as a startup. 

We also have a practice of co-creating with government agencies. There's a deep level of industry expertise domiciled in the government agencies, and they are deeply familiar with many of the challenges that our solutions aim to solve. A process of structured listening and iteration, where technicians and technocrats within the government agency feel they are part of the process of creating the final product, is a very key component to how buy-in eventually happens. 

The third thing which feeds off of that is aligning our solutions with government priorities. Our solutions are positioned and framed downstream from government policy. I think that's one of the most important components. Because it means that the solution is speaking to a challenge that government agencies are grappling with. 

And finally, we have an internal policy in Black Swan, where we make sure that every conversation with a government official is captured and documented and acted upon before that official moves to their next destination. This keeps us top of mind and keeps us at the edge of the solution.

Key takeaways

• Demonstrate strong technical mastery to clearly show your startup understands the challenge.

• Co-create with government agencies through structured listening so technocrats feel part of building the solution.

• Align solutions with government policy, present clear data, and follow up quickly to stay top of mind.