All that glitters...

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There have always been wannabe's in federal contracting. These are the hucksters who spin expertise they don't have into a bright shiny offering. The pandemic created even more opportunity for folks like this to portray themselves as the second coming of the govcon messiah. All it takes are some buzz words, a YouTube channel and the "promise" of riches accumulated while you sit on the beach sipping adult versions of Bahama's Goombay Punch. Don't laugh. Smart folks just like you are falling for this every day, hook, line, and sinker.

"All that glitters is not gold" is an aphorism that means something may not be as good or valuable as it first appears. Sadly, it is incredibly poignant for what's happening in federal contracting right now.

It's not just happening on YouTube. All of the social media platforms are inundated with experts who can't spell govcon. Amazingly, they know all of the rules, and all of the shortcuts to amassing millions in federal contracts. The funny thing about shortcuts is you have to have been "there" to discover a shortcut. For the record, the "there" I'm referring to is being  on the receiving end of a federal contract, a place the majority of these folks have never been. What about the ones who issued government contracts? Don't assume because someone says they were a contracting professional and were experts at writing contracts, that they're expert at winning contracts. As I look (and I have looked) at DAU or FAI training, I don't see the business development life cycle as part of the curriculum.

What's the hook that lures so many to throw money away on something or someone, that will never result in an equitable return? Just as the Government's intent with a Request for Information (RFI) has NEVER been about awarding a contract when that part of the process concluded, GovCon Grifters never intend for you to win a contract. As soon as you enter your credit card number, they are done with you.

Federal Contracting is a prime example of "if it were really that easy, everybody would do it." It's not easy, and for good reason. Providing viable goods and services to organizations administering our national economy, national health, national policies, national defense, and national security isn't supposed to be easy, because the administration of these critical functions isn't easy. Think about the crappy job done by the handyman, web designer, IT consultant, landscaper, painter, or mechanic you hired last fall . Do you really want them getting federal contracts? I don't.

The next time you see someone you know headed towards a valuable looking shiny object in federal contracting, warn them it's probably just a fool hocking Fool's Gold.

Peace, Health, and Thriving,

Go-To-Guy Timberlake