diff --git a/smma/grant_starting.md b/smma/grant_starting.md index 9963c79..677af2d 100644 --- a/smma/grant_starting.md +++ b/smma/grant_starting.md @@ -1,3 +1,47 @@ +Yes, absolutely, there are several points of interest in this transcript, especially in the context of your goals: + +### Key Takeaways and "Points of Interest": + +1. **The "Trainer's" Core Value Proposition for Contracts (and yours for Grants):** + * The speaker repeatedly emphasizes: "First step of excelling in anything is knowing what the process is about." and "Most people jump straight to the solicitation and I would like to change your mind on this because there are hidden opportunities and ways for you to win if you just start early." + * This is *exactly* the problem you can solve with data. People are confused, miss opportunities, and don't know the process early enough. Your automated data extraction provides that "early signal" and "heads up." + +2. **Explicit Demand for Data Intelligence (Validation of Your Idea):** + * "If you really want to do your homework then you would start with the awards in the past see what the agency is about to release and jump the gun and go straight and talk to them." + * **This is HUGE!** He's explicitly telling his audience to do *exactly* what your USAspending.gov data analysis would enable: historical award data (who won what, when, for how much) to spot trends and identify agencies. This validates the need for the "spotting patterns" capability you identified earlier. + * "If you want to make it easier for you to find these contracts break them down have the heads up to actually receive these contracts early on then uh invest in SAM search it will make your life much much easier you can search for government contracts on a federal level across all states cities and education institutions you get alerts for any matching uh contract based on your keyword you have tracking system where you can track your government contracts throughout the phases so you're organized and you're not confused all the time..." + * This is essentially a sales pitch for a service very much like what you could build (though focused on SAM.gov). He's outlining the exact pain points and features that a data-driven solution provides: **early alerts, keyword matching, tracking through phases, organization, reducing confusion.** This confirms the market demand for automated intelligence. + +3. **Specific Contract Types for Small Businesses (Niche Opportunities):** + * **Simplified Acquisitions (FAR 13):** "These are usually fast in most cases they're under $250,000 and they are 99.9% for small businesses." and "the process the bidding process is a lot simpler so there's less forms it's a simple process usually it's straightforward you have quicker turnaround on contracts." + * **Actionable Insight:** If you eventually pivot to SAM.gov, filtering for FAR 13 contracts (those under $250K) would be an excellent, high-value niche for small businesses. They're easier to bid on and have less competition from large primes. + * **Small Business Set-Asides:** This is a recurring theme. These are contracts specifically reserved for small businesses. + * **Actionable Insight:** Any service you build for SAM.gov should heavily emphasize the ability to filter and alert on small business set-asides. + +4. **The "Pre-Solicitation" and "Sources Sought" Phases (The "Early Signal" Value):** + * He highlights `Source Sought` (market research, early signal) and `Pre-Solicitation` (a solicitation *is* coming) as crucial "hidden opportunities." + * **Actionable Insight:** Your data solution could specifically identify and alert clients to these very early-stage notices. This is a massive competitive advantage because, as he says, "by the time it gets to solicitation they probably have someone in mind." Your tool gives them time to "get their foot in the door" and engage with the agency. + +5. **Expired Contracts / "Bidding to Lose" (Proactive Relationship Building):** + * "Let's say you find an expired contract and you miss the deadlines reach out tell them 'This is my business this is how I would do it i know this is a expired contract but if you ever want something like this in the future this is my business this is how I would do it this is the price I would give you.'" + * While he doesn't explicitly state "bidding to lose," this strategy (reaching out on expired contracts) directly supports the concept: building relationships and showcasing capabilities for future opportunities, even if you can't bid on *that specific* expired one. Your historical data (from USAspending.gov) could help identify these recurring, expiring contracts. + +6. **CPARS (Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System):** + * "once you win hopefully you win then you have a performance review and that's called a C parse and they evaluate you as a business and based on that they they grade you basically." + * **Context:** CPARS records a contractor's past performance. This isn't directly related to finding *new* opportunities, but it's crucial for *winning* future ones, as agencies check CPARS. This highlights another area of data (past performance) that could eventually be integrated for a more comprehensive intelligence offering. + +7. **AI for Proposals and Breakdown (Future Feature Idea / Competitive Landscape):** + * "You can generate proposals using AI you can break down government contracts with ease using AI." + * **Observation:** The "trainer's" own product, "SAM search," claims to use AI for proposal generation and contract breakdown. This shows that others are *already* trying to leverage AI in this space. While you should *not* focus on this immediately, it's a strong signal for where the market is headed and a potential advanced feature for your service down the line, once you've mastered data extraction. + +--- + +**Overall Impression:** + +This transcript strongly validates your overall business idea. The "trainer" is articulating the exact pain points that you, with your data engineering skills, are uniquely positioned to solve. He's confirming the market appetite for automated, early, and targeted intelligence in the government funding space. Even though he's focused on contracts, the *principles* of information arbitrage are identical for grants. + +--- + # Federal Grants Intelligence Service - Actionable Persona Profile ## Specific Service Definition