Tech Transforms (Live at the Owl Evolution Summit) 
Carolyn Ford:
Good morning, Owl Evolution Summit. Thank you for being here. IÕm so happy to be in the room with you guys, and this is a first for me. We are doing Tech Transforms in front of real live people. Not only that, but we are globally live on our virtual platform and we're live on LinkedIn Live.
So, you know, when we do something, we go all in. If you've never listened to Tech Transforms, buckle up. This is where we talk about how tech influences our lives, and we try to do it without putting you to sleep.
But today, I have a ringer. It's gonna be easy to keep you awake because this guy who I am so happy to call my friend for many years, but he is, can I say badass? No. Okay, no. Never mind. Too old for that.
Steve Stratton is a retired Green Beret. He served in the White House under two presidents. He was with the Secret Service. Now he's an award winning author, and he's the author of Skip Jack, which was in your welcome package.
And so, Steve, thanks for coming from all the way from Colorado to be with us today.
Steve Stratton:
Thanks for having me here. ItÕs great to be with this crowd here of folks who are interested in these kind of products and protecting our nation.
Carolyn Ford:
I don't know if your mic's on. I'm a technical wizard. Watch this. Watch that. It's up. Is it up? Okay, all right. There we go. It's not close enough, there we go.
All right, well, as I mentioned, you've had a remarkable career, something that would take most people, you know, multiple lifetimes. Talk about the evolution of the career and how storytelling has mattered throughout for you.
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, my parents had a lot of names for my curiosity, and but it served me well, being curious and not having the need to control what I was looking into or getting into the kind of trouble as it might be getting into. So I've always been curious, sort of a scientific let's go find out about this kind of mind.
And when it comes to storytelling, I think the key thing is, you know, I read the science fiction greats early on as a kid, and they painted this picture in my mind that it's amazing when you think about it. They paint these whole worlds, like Dune or whatever it might be. And their words on a page, a white sort of cream colored page, created this huge visual.
And so I started incorporating that even as a Boy Scout. When I would train somebody else on knot tying or whatever it might be at Sunday school teaching lessons as a young kid, and that translated into when I was a Waka, somebody would ask me something and I just couldn't give them the speeds and feeds. I had to tell them a story about how it was important.
And I continued to do that today, and it became core to what I did in Special Forces, because our first mission is training, right? With partners, by through with, and partners, and so, yeah, you need to have your 240 gunner over here, but why is that important? So, Steve, tell a little story, you know, that kind of thing.
Sometimes through an interpreter, sometimes in very bad Spanish down in South America. And yeah, so that's how I've taught that's how I've gotten people engaged. And it's through that emotional connection, right?
They're just not. Here's how's how the gun works, here's how the site works. Here's how the mortar works, whatever it might be, but here's how it works in context and is going to create a result we need to have, so.
Carolyn Ford:
Yeah, and there's a lot of science behind why storytelling helps us remember.
Steve Stratton:
Oh, I'm in a slaughter the science, the scientific. explanation here, but it makes really deep neural pathways, and it helps us remember things when we need to remember them. It also helps us with decision fatigue, because of that emotional connection that you just talked about.
Carolyn Ford:
And Steve and I have talked several times about this is one of the fun things we've done. Skipjack in our careers, and this started a year and a half ago?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, I think Dotus.
Carolyn Ford:
Dot, yeah. Dotus, Greasy little diner. Having some coffee, and I said, "Why don't we do this? Let's her name's Nicky Fury. She's a redhead." I'm not a narcissist, you guys.
And he was all in. And, like, literally 48 hours later, I had the first Nicky Fury story in my inbox. And we have not stopped nerding out over this sense.
So you've talked about it a little bit already, Steve, but why does this work in your opinion better than the data sheets, the speeds and feeds, the white paper for the white papers?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, in my career, where I retired as a head of product management, I've done my share of boring brochures and white papers and proposals, and all which didn't have, you know, told a good story per se, about those things, speeds and feeds, but they didn't have that emotional connection. Why do we need to do this? Why is this important to the mission?
And so here in Skipjack, we're able to create characters, put the tech in a situation, but create characters who have stakes, right? In writing, we call it the Hero's Journey, that kind of thing.
And so when you put whether it's a product or you're writing a purely fictional story, if you can, you know, the goal is to always put your good person in another bad situation, that they've got to figure out. And they fight through to the end and hopefully they win in some meaningful way.
So we took lessons from Peter Singer Ghost Fleet, as you may remember reading Ghost Fleet. useful fiction. So this opened up the world for me. I didn't have to make things up. I could use things products, people, techniques we have today, and get into the near future.
Of course, I went immediately. to DARPA and said, What are you working on? And somebody mentioned, we got quantum radar, so I had to put it in the book.
It's not a real thing yet, but useful in its way, and shows how collecting information helps us in decision making, decision creates our decision advantage.
Carolyn Ford:
Yeah, exactly. And that's you and I have talked a lot about what decision advantage means to us. And when I started thinking about it, really seriously, you know what it means for me and my team, it always comes back to the story, because that's how I ring remember things. If I've been told a good story, I remember it, I remember it when it matters.
With your military background, talk to us about what decision advantage means to you.
Steve Stratton:
Right, I mean, for me, it's all about the OODA Loop. Stepping off the aircraft, you know, I've got my environment that I know, so I was with 20 of Special Forces, supporting 7h and Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, that kind of thing. So I know my area, I know what my training mission is, right, to be at the Lancero School in Tolemaida and Rangers, Columbian Rangers.
And stepping off, right, there's that old adage that no plan survives first contact, you're immediately in the OODA Loop, right? You're assessing what's going on, you're orienting yourself, you're working through it, and adjusting on the fly.
And that's really, I think, the hallmark of a good soldier, a good leader, is they're always assessing their environment, how they're gonna make something better, how they're gonna connect to their logistics train, things like that. So I think, you know, it builds on itself and becomes very important.
Decision advantage is having that information that allows you to be in that OODA Loop and completing it faster than your adversary in their cognitive world. And OODA Loop is not just something I like saying.
Carolyn Ford:
You helped me understand it when we first started talking about decision advantage, and you made decision advantage more than just a stupid marketing buzzword. And you did it through story.
You said, you took me back to a almost a 25 year old film when we first started talking about this, and you said, "There's this scene and we were soldiers where' Colonel Moore is on the battlefield and he's taking in everything, but it's what his eyes, ears, like, he can take in on the battlefield."
And you immediately found it technology so awesome, you pulled it up on YouTube and we watched it together. And I I got it. I finally understood what OODA Loop is, and I really got what decision advantage is.
Wes, will you play that clip for us?
Carolyn Ford:
My God. There's no hiding it now. And I just got shells again, watching it for, like, the 10th time.
Why that scene? It's so raw, so visceral. He is literally walking around bullets flying everywhere. His soldiers are dying. He's listening for literally the difference between Kalashnikov rounds and his soldiers, what they're yelling, whatso the radio. In his OODA Loop, trying to understand where he's at in the battle.
So he's collecting data and then he's processing it, and of course, he has to call, you know, in for support and so it's that visceral expression of what we do with technology, right? We get it it seemed more may seem more sterile today because we get electronically, but that's essentially what we're doing with OODA Loop.
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, and what watching that great storytelling, like, I could feel him taking in all the data through his eyes, ears, like, his skin, basically in Skipjack, you fast forward us to future, near future, and even now, where our leader, Nicky Fury's with us on the stage.
Nicky Fury and her other leaders in the story, it's more than you can physically take in. It's sensors from everywhere, it's AI, it's your quantum satellites, intel feeds, it's literally petabytes of data that physically, you just can't do it. The battlefield has gone quantum. It's everything, everywhere, all at once.
And there's a scene in Skipjack. There's a few scenes, but there's one that really jumped out. To me that really illustrates this well, that's grounded in the tech.
And this is a scene where the commander walks us through how his people and him are able to have decision advantage at the edge because of the technology. I mean, they're dealing with dark web environment, sensors, social media, I mean, they're taking it in from everywhere, right?
So I want to read. I'm gonna I want to read just a little bit. I'm going to read just a little bit to you guys. If you want to follow along, I'm on chapter five. So it should be about page 17 in your book. So, this is the Commander explaining all of this.
Now, my staff and the Intel shop can mine those domains and ingest that data into our decision support systems, but collecting data and information from the internet and especially the dark web, is a dangerous activity.
Prior to making the Link operational, the J6 briefed the Joint staff. It's good to know that any malicious payload hidden in a picture, video, or audio file will be stopped from calling home and exfiltrating information by our data diodes.
From individual sensors, sending bs to terabytes, downloaded from our space based assets, we are flooded with data. We must fuse it, analyze it, and turn it into information that becomes actionable.
To reduce the time from sensor to action, I have authorized my team to make decisions at the point of information. It's a no kinetic war we are fighting every day at the speed of the internet.
Carolyn Ford:
Talk about how that scene represents the ole loop that we live in today, and what do you want your readers, especially your leaders, to take away from how this commander was thinking?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, so this section of the book we're talking about pre war activities, right? This information campaigns, interference, and coming elections, those kinds of things, right?
So the J6 had gotten the ability to connect to a high threat network. information section of the J3 is operational land space and fighting that war, that non kinetic war on a daily basis.
And so once again, getting that information in, understanding it, analyzing it, discerning the deep fakes, those kind of things that they can help the President of Pacifica our little country in the Pacific, make these decisions to fight back That is, you know, a non kinetic version of being in the OODA Loop.
And I think the one thing that I'd like folks to come away with is that once you've got all this data right, you're looking for the pieces that matter, right? Those needles and the pile of needles in the haystack. You're looking for the correct information, but letting your people pushing that ability to make decisions down, number one, always has a positive effect in a military organization.
And that speeds up your response, right? And so relying on your experts to do their job and be in the fight for you, while, you can look at the bigger picture, what is this leading to?
That also plays a role in the book. Cause Fury is then able to essentially not sit back, but understand at a larger perspective what's going on and why the adversary's Navy is refueling to get home across the Straits when they've never done that before. So
Carolyn Ford:
Well, and I'm not going to spoil it, for those of you who haven't read yet, but there's stuff that you wrote in there about the tides. And I immediately called you when I read that part. I'm like, "This so cool."
I mean, there were many parts like that, but and again, like, the science behind this, I mean, we all know if we played in sports, our coaches would tell us to go home and you know, play the story in our mind, it's immersive. This immersive experience, even if it's happening in our mind.
Sc Scientists have done FMRIs, where they're watching the brain, and they can see the brain light up when you're in this immersive storytelling. Even if it's just in your mind, the emotional part of the brain lights up as well as the intellectual part, the decision making part.
So you're really internalizing and getting the stuff in there so you can access it when it matters the most.
So we talked about people remembering the story rather than the speeds and feeds. How can leaders use story as a tool, not just to inspire, but to get results?
Steve Stratton:
Right. So I think we always talk about, you know, the commanderÕs intent, the commander's vision, right? We want people to buy into that. Whether you're in a military organization or a commercial, you want people to buy into the vision of where you're headed, right?
And so storytelling, having that emotional connection, once again, not just saying, hey, well, we'll win this battle, we'll, you, corner this part of the market, but why are we getting there? What are we doing for humankind or for the US. or our partners? How are we helping them?
That emotional connections number one. Then the second thing to do, I believe, and all good leaders do, is they make their people the hero of the story.. Right?
So that's how you hook and engage your team, your A team, your squad, your company, is you tell them how they're going to be the hero of the story and engage them so they can buy in and then bring, once again, their expertise and leadership forward.
Carolyn Ford:
I love that, make them, make your people the hero of the story.
This kind of fiction is it's called useful fiction. The term's been around a while, like a lot of us in the room have read Ghost Fleet. Peter Singer's book, that was my first exposure to really good, useful fiction, but this is the first time you've written useful fiction in this way.
What did you have to do different than what you typically write? Like your shadow tier books awesome, by the way, if you guys haven't read them, you should go get them. But how did you have to approach it differently or not really?
Steve Stratton:
No, who happens to write fictional character who chases after Cl Chapo, because he's not in a Florence Prison right now. Florence, Colorado Prison.
I always bring in technology. I try not to make it the main part of the plot. I'm not writing a techno thriller, because I still believe characters are important. People are the important part that other people want to read about.
But technology is an enabler, just like it is with us in the military and the government, and that's how we, as people, how our leaders help us win on a daily basis.
So it wasn't much of a stretch for me. I got to write in things I know about. I've spent 30 years doing IT for the military and cross domain. So it wasn't much of a stretch. It was more fun than work.
Carolyn Ford:
Yeah, and tech is cool. I mean, Inspector Gadget. That's why we love Q, right? And it makes James Bond so much cooler, too.
So, what is the one mindset shift that you hope our audience walks away with after reading Skip Jack?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, that while the technology is always as Scott said, it's always there's something new. There's something innovative coming up and things like that, that at some point, it's got to be grounded in principles that are still relatable, right, to your lowest your lowest, maybe, you, software engineer, whatever.
And so bringing that together in a story that presents a vision really can help drive a military unit, a commercial organization in the way that's connected with the vision, so that's the story.
Tell me a story, and I get it. I get why this technology matters for me, for my mom, for my kid, what we do matters.
Carolyn Ford:
So anyone looking to harness the power of storytelling, what's one thing you would recommend that they do today?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, there's a great book called The Science of Storytelling that actually gets to how our brain works and how great storytellers will say words on a page and paint this picture that our mind gets develops and we engage with that character.
And so The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr is a great read, easy read, I listened to it. I was just doing some hunting down in Texas and listened to it on the drive back to Colorado, where I live, and I actually started playing it again because I was wanting to absorb some of what he said.
So great book.
Carolyn Ford:
This was another one of mine and Steve's nerd out momentsÕ cause I just I'm warning you, when you read the intro to this book, like, you're gonna have to pick your job, because I called Steve, I'm like, "I gotta read you something."
And he and I, so at least read the introduction to this book.
All right, so now we're to probably my favorite part of the show. This is our tech talk questions. These are rapid fire questions, Steve. So this is gut reaction, don't overthink it. They're just fun answers.
So first tech talk question, what piece of current tech would have blown your 1970s Green Beret mind?
Steve Stratton:
Multifunctional enhanced night vision. I've actually got a pair of PBS 14s, and I've added an IR monocle on top of the left eye, and so I'm messing around a little bit, but what the teams have, multi with the enhanced division, you know, of course, you've got other companies that are suggesting we're going to look through walls pretty shortly.
That's some exciting technology that would have been useful in a few situations, so
Carolyn Ford:
Yeah, I can imagine, and you're such a nerd. Thank you.
All right, if Skip Jack will win Skip Jack becomes a movie, who's gonna play Nicky Fury?
Steve Stratton:
Well, if you're not available... I'm thinking Jessica Chastain..
Carolyn Ford:
Oh, yes.. Through a Dark 30. Another good movies, yeah.. But also a redhead.
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, she has a redhead, but, you know, I have a thing for Charlie's their own, so.
Carolyn Ford:
There you go. It could be either. Yeah. Okay, good.
All right. Fictional universe that you would love to live in for a day?
Steve Stratton:
Yeah, interesting. On Prime, there's a TV series called The Expanse, where there's Earthers, Martians, the Belters who mine the belt and things like that, and there's this there's this essentially what we would call like a corvette in the Navy. now.
It's a Martian spaceship they take over and sail around the galaxy Inn and their space Cowboys.
Carolyn Ford:
Exactly. Exactly. I had to start that one a couple of times because when I first started it, every time I would start to watch it, I just got this. It kind of scared me. I don't know why. But yes. Great storytelling.
That's a great story, but mine would have to be all of you who know me, my dog's name is Han Solo. So it would definitely be Star Wars. Star Trek close behind, though.
All right. LinkedIn Live audience, this is where we leave you. Thanks for joining this special Tech Transforms episode from the Ol Evolution Summit.
But live audience, virtual, and in the room, don't go anywhere. This is where we're going to take you into our first mission brief, and you guys get to get your hands on these vignettes that Steve's written special for this conference, but LinkedIn Live audience, if this sparked anything in you, please share this episode and follow us on Tech Transforms.
You can get us wherever you get your podcasts. For more conversations about how tech shapes our work, our lives, and our future, Until then, stay curious, keep imagining the future, and thank you so much for joining the mission.
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