Michael J Smith

Michael has spent the last decade building and scaling public-sector software companies. He writes about the operational systems, metrics, and decisions that actually make GovTech work.

Leadership

Dec 31, 2025

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7 min read

Stop Debating Build vs Buy

A framework for vision-first expansion in GovTech

Michael J Smith

Dec 24, 2025

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4 min read

A Quiet Reset Before January

A year-end reflection for those in GovTech who cannot fully switch off

Michael J Smith

10 Hard Lessons I Learned Building in GovTech (and frameworks to handle them)

Dec 9, 2025

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14 min read

10 Hard Lessons I Learned Building in GovTech (and frameworks to handle them)

Hard-earned insights for anyone crazy enough to build software for government.

Michael J Smith

Sales

A Playbook for Selling AI to Public Agencies

Dec 3, 2025

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6 min read

A Playbook for Selling AI to Public Agencies

How to navigate politics, procurement, and panic when selling AI into government.

Michael J Smith

Sales

Why Your Forecasts in GovTech are Always Bullshit

Nov 25, 2025

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4 min read

Why Your Forecasts in GovTech are Always Bullshit

A practical breakdown of the Procurement Lag Model and how to measure real revenue timing in GovTech.

Michael J Smith

Sales

You're Probably Overstating Your ARR. Here's the Fix.

Nov 5, 2025

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4 min read

You're Probably Overstating Your ARR. Here's the Fix.

Why “reported ARR” in GovTech often isn’t the real number, and how to correct it.

Michael J Smith

Michael J Smith

Stop Debating Build vs Buy

A Quiet Reset Before January

10 Hard Lessons I Learned Building in GovTech (and frameworks to handle them)

A Playbook for Selling AI to Public Agencies

Why Your Forecasts in GovTech are Always Bullshit

You're Probably Overstating Your ARR. Here's the Fix.

The GovTech Operator

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