The buyer is a general. The customer is a staff sergeant. | Uwe Horstmann, Stark
In defense tech, the buyer and the end user are completely different people requiring separate focus.
“Why don't you give us wood? Because at least we can throw wood into the fire to warm ourselves in the winter.”
Uwe Horstmann of Stark (defense tech startup) illustrates the disconnect between military procurement decision-makers (generals with budgets) and actual field users (soldiers) through an anecdote about soldiers preferring wooden boxes over plastic ones for firewood. The core thesis is that defense tech startups must prioritize end-user feedback over procurement hierarchies. This is a product development philosophy piece with no direct AI signal.