EP 6 — DRYOUT's Romney Williams on Converting Introductions into Programs of Record

Romney Williams, CEO & Board Member, shares how DRYOUT reached Special Forces program-of-record status within months of a single introduction, bypassing the typical valley of death: already having domestic manufacturing partnerships and proven production capabilities from their consumer product line. It also helped that their moisture extraction technology absorbs 3,400 times more than DoD-standard silica gel in third-party testing.

The strategic sequencing matters: DRYOUT spent years manufacturing tech sleeves and firearm storage bags before military conversations began, building cut-and-sew partnerships across the United States and refining their patented material sandwich construction. When Special Forces saw their helmet bag, qualification barriers that typically kill early-stage contractors were already cleared. 

Romney shares active problem sets his team is engineering for, including night vision goggle pouches that prevent condensation damage, as well as his framework for choosing A-grade teams over A-grade markets.

Topics discussed:

• Deploying ingredient brand business models that license patented technology to OEMs rather than selling direct-to-consumer products
• Achieving Special Forces program-of-record status within months through introductions that bypassed traditional procurement timelines
• Building domestic manufacturing infrastructure through consumer product development before pursuing military contracts to eliminate qualification delays
• Engineering helmet storage systems that prevent lens fog in night vision goggles and protect mission-critical communications gear
• Designing moisture extraction panels for drone controller hard cases that absorb 3,400 times more moisture than DoD-standard silica gel
• Securing international IP protection before NATO system integration to balance mission opportunities against commercialization strategy.