EP 107 — Hidden Level's Antoinett Dufort On The Scaling Problem Most DIB Companies Ignore

The defense industrial base has no shortage of innovation. It has a scaling problem. At Hidden Level , the team went from building prototype passive RF sensors to producing operational systems at scale. The operational playbook behind that leap started when Antoinett Dufort joined as employee number 20.

Now VP of Operations, Antoinett shares how she built manufacturing, supply chain, and quality systems with future scale in mind from day one, and the decisions that positioned Hidden Level to meet surging demand without scrambling to catch up.

Topics discussed:

• Why the DIB has a scaling problem, not an innovation problem
• Building manufacturing processes with future scale designed in from day one
• Investing in supply chain relationships and inventory ahead of confirmed demand
• Using "what would have to be true" as a planning framework for production scale
• Applying healthcare's patient-centered mindset to defense manufacturing quality
• Workforce development through university and community college partnerships
• The make vs. buy decision for sensor assembly and calibration
• Navigating demand uncertainty when forecasts are replaced by insights

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