Dan Ward's Corner

Dan Ward’s Corner

My name is LTC Dan Ward and I served in the US Air Force for over 20 years. In 2004, I coined the term FIST (Fast, Inexpensive, Simple, Tiny) to describe a particular pattern of decision-making that supports rapid, low-cost innovation. Since that time, I have published extensively on the topic. Below is a list of some of the best FIST-related articles, papers, and blog posts I have written over the years. I hope you find them informative and provide you insight into the complexities of acquisition reform. Also, check out my acquisition-related comics that add a level of humor to the challenges that are faced by service acquisition professionals every day. Enjoy!

Date	FIST & Acquisition Reform
Nov 13	Changing Acquisition Culture: What and How?
Dec 10	Wanting It
Jun 13	Fast Better Cheaper: Lessons Defense Could Learn from NASA
Mar 13	Common Sense from the Top, Sequester or Not Read
Apr 12	Acquisition Reform, For Real
Dec 04	Doing Less With More
Feb 06	It’s About Time
Jun 06	FIST, Part 5
Jun 11	FIST at Five
Dec 10	The FIST Manifesto
Mar 02	My Thesis: The Effect Of Values on Defense Acquisition Program Outcomes
Mar 12	Why I Love Budget Cuts
Feb 13	70 Trumps 100
Jul 12	How To Build Good Stuff
Jun 12	The Most Important Things
Mar 12	Why To Cancel A Procurement Program
Sept 12	Buying Rules For Zombie Apocalypse
May 12	Two Questions, Too Few Answers
Apr 12	Concurrency From The Inside
Jan 13	Evidence submitted to Parliament’s Public Administration Select Committee
Oct 11	Don’t Come To The Dark Side
Dec 11	The Goal Of Defense Acquisitions
	Commentaries about FIST
Mar 13	Lt. Col. Dan Ward on Acquisition Reform
Jan 11	Want Government To Spend More Wisely?
Aug 09	Courage Needed
Sept 09	The Death Star Nightmare
Apr 12	A Tale Of Two Aircraft
Apr 12	The Team Rogue Approach
Oct 12	The Picasso of Procurement
Nov 10	DARPA’s Sim Tank
Aug 11	China’s Small Warships
Apr 12	Smaller Space Force

Date	Comics
	FIST Comic #1
	FIST versus The Incredible Inevitable
	The Comic Guide To Improving Defense Acquisitions
	FIST 3rd Comic
	* Comics may take time to download
	Faster, Better, Cheaper
Apr 10	Faster, Better, Cheaper – Revisited
Apr 12	Faster, Better, Cheaper: Pick Three
	Stories & Examples
Jun 09	Call Me Sisyphus
Apr 08	Krog’s New Weapon
Feb 11	My Big Slow Fail
Aug 08	Socrates In Washington DC
Aug 09	Acquisition As Deterrent
Feb 12	Acquisition Successes
May 12	Real Lessons From An Unreal Helicopter
May 12	Awesome On A Shoestring
	Misc
Mar 13	Video: Testimony to the House of Commons
Mar 13	British Army Journal: Acquisition for 21st-century forces
Nov 12	Robot Fish & Rapid Innovation
Dec 08	Metaphors Are Mindfunnels
May 09	On Failure
Dec 09	There Are No Facts About The Future
Jun 04	The Program Manager’s Dilemma
Oct 08	The Truth About Process Loss Cost
Jun 08	Postmodern Program Management
Mar 09	Who Shall Defend Us
Feb 10	It’s Not a Big Truck
Oct 10	An Exercise in Values Identification – TV Died
	Training
	Simplicity Cycle Charts