The Situation
The company operated a marketplace connecting organizations with domain experts for consulting engagements. Think of it as Gerson Lehrman or AlphaSights, but with a focus on specialized knowledge areas including federal government expertise.
Two-sided marketplaces have a chicken-and-egg problem. Buyers won't come if there aren't enough experts. Experts won't sign up if there aren't enough paying engagements. You have to build both sides simultaneously—and the acquisition cost for both can kill you before you reach critical mass.
When I joined, the government vertical was a hypothesis. The existing motion was:
- Demand: Generic B2B marketing to "enterprise" with occasional government contractor wins
- Supply: Expert recruitment through LinkedIn outreach and referrals
CAC was high on both sides. Close rates were low. The thesis was promising but the execution was generic.
My job was to build a repeatable acquisition engine for both sides of the marketplace, specifically targeting the government sector.
The Insight
Government contracting is a public business. Unlike commercial B2B where everything happens behind closed doors, federal procurement generates massive amounts of public data:
Demand signals are visible:
- Every federal contract over $25K is publicly reported
- RFP postings reveal what agencies are buying
- Congressional budgets show where money is flowing
- Award announcements reveal who's winning
Supply signals are also visible:
- Former government officials are proud of their service—LinkedIn profiles detail their agency tenure
- Major programs they managed are often documented in public records
- GAO reports, congressional testimony, and press releases name specific officials
The insight: We could build targeting criteria from public data that commercial intelligence tools couldn't match.
The second insight was about timing. Government contractors need experts at specific moments: proposal phase, post-award staffing, recompete preparation. Catching contractors at the right moment was as important as reaching them at all.
The System
Layer 1: Demand-Side Intelligence (Government Contractors)
Data Sources and Signal Extraction
SAM.gov (System for Award Management) - Company registration, past contract history, certifications, NAICS codes.
USAspending.gov - Where money is flowing, incumbent contractors, contract vehicles, upcoming recompetes.
FPDS (Federal Procurement Data System) - All contract actions, set-aside designations, prime/sub relationships.
Building the Target Account List
CONTRACTOR SCORE = f( Activity Score (recent wins, active proposals) + Growth Score (contract value trajectory) + Fit Score (target agency alignment, domain match) + Intent Score (hiring patterns, teaming announcements) + Accessibility Score (company size, likely to buy services) )
Outreach Triggers
| Trigger Event | Signal Source | Outreach Message |
|---|---|---|
| New RFP in their domain | SAM.gov posting | "Building your team for [opportunity]?" |
| Contract award win | FPDS/USAspending | "Congrats on [contract]—need experts to staff?" |
| Lost bid | Award to competitor | "Strengthen your next proposal with [expertise]" |
| Recompete approaching | Contract end date | "Defending [contract]? We can help." |
Layer 2: Supply-Side Intelligence (Former Federal Executives)
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Sourcing
SEARCH CRITERIA:
Past employer contains:
- "Department of Defense" OR "DOD"
- "Department of Energy" OR "DOE"
- "USAID" OR "Agency for International Development"
AND Title (past or present) contains:
- "Program Manager" OR "Director" OR "Chief"
- "Contracting Officer" OR "COR"
- "Senior Advisor" OR "Deputy"
AND Current status:
- Not currently employed by federal government
- OR "Consultant" OR "Advisor" (indicates availability)
Experience Verification
LinkedIn profiles told part of the story. We cross-referenced with FPDS/USAspending (contracting officer records), GAO reports (program managers named), congressional testimony archives, and professional associations (NCMA, AFCEA).
Layer 3: Two-Sided Matching
The matching logic connected contractor needs with expert supply:
CONTRACTOR NEED EXPERT MATCH ─────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────── DOD cyber contract proposal → Ex-DOD cyber program manager Agency: DOD Agency: DOD Domain: Cybersecurity Domain: Cybersecurity Need: Proposal support Capability: Acquisition knowledge Timeline: 60 days Availability: Immediate
Value Proposition by Side
To Contractors: Access to experts who understand the agency from inside. Faster proposal development. Better win rates. Flexible engagement.
To Experts: Monetize institutional knowledge without full-time commitment. Stay engaged in the field post-government. Flexible work.
The Takeaway
Two-sided marketplaces are hard because you have to build two acquisition engines simultaneously. The government sector offered a unique advantage: visibility.