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CIA Labs

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Re: CIA Labs

#11

Post by Enginerrrd »

thebean11 wrote: post #6
iffyspectrum wrote: post #4

More information: "Officers who develop new technologies at CIA Labs will be allowed to patent, license, and profit from their work, making 15% of the total income from the new invention with a cap of $150,000 per year. That could double most agency salaries and make the work more competitive with Silicon Valley." : https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/21/1008654/cias-new...

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

It seems like they are offering support or funding though, no? In that case, they are definitely taking on some risk.

Re: CIA Labs

#12

Post by dalbasal »

thebean11 wrote: post #6
iffyspectrum wrote: post #4

More information: "Officers who develop new technologies at CIA Labs will be allowed to patent, license, and profit from their work, making 15% of the total income from the new invention with a cap of $150,000 per year. That could double most agency salaries and make the work more competitive with Silicon Valley." : https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/21/1008654/cias-new...

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

No.

The point is that you don't take the risk. You have a job. You get a salary. This usually means that you have no risk and no upside. The idea here is that you have some upside, but still take no risk.

IDK if this works in practice, but the principle is that.

Re: CIA Labs

#13

Post by gpm »

HenryKissinger wrote: post #9

Some network admin at the CIA is probably wondering where the sudden traffic bump is coming from right now.

They probably know.

Not because they're the CIA or anything, but because most browsers send referrers. It's really easy to figure out where a traffic spike is coming from.

Re: CIA Labs

#14

Post by balls187 »

daniel-cussen wrote: post #10
thebean11 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

You absolutely don't take all the risk of creating a new technology. You get paid an excellent defense sector salary unconditionally, with all the defense sector benefits, some very exclusive. Plus you get tons of resources and the inside track to talk to "the client", you're not working out of your garage.

> ...with all the defense sector benefits, some very exclusive.

Could you elaborate on that?

Re: CIA Labs

#15

Post by thebean11 »

dalbasal wrote: post #12
thebean11 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

No. The point is that you don't take the risk. You have a job. You get a salary. This usually means that you have no risk and no upside. The idea here is that you have some upside, but still take no risk. IDK if this works in practice, but the principle is that.

Yeah good point, it's definitely not fair to say I'd be taking the risk.

I guess I just find it really strange for them to say you'd own the technology you create.

Re: CIA Labs

#17

Post by denysvitali »

gpm wrote: post #13
HenryKissinger wrote: post #9

Some network admin at the CIA is probably wondering where the sudden traffic bump is coming from right now.

They probably know. Not because they're the CIA or anything, but because most browsers send referrers. It's really easy to figure out where a traffic spike is coming from.

but also because they're the CIA, you know

Re: CIA Labs

#18

Post by balls187 »

thebean11 wrote: post #6
iffyspectrum wrote: post #4

More information: "Officers who develop new technologies at CIA Labs will be allowed to patent, license, and profit from their work, making 15% of the total income from the new invention with a cap of $150,000 per year. That could double most agency salaries and make the work more competitive with Silicon Valley." : https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/21/1008654/cias-new...

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

During my time at Boeing, they had the "Chairmans Innovation Initiative"

A program where employees could apply for. Ideas that were selected were given funding, and either spun out into separate companies, or spun internally to an existing division.

To me, that creates an aligned incentive for both the company, and the individual.

To your specific point, you beat the odds, you will not only get profit sharing, but likely ascend the ladder quickly, opening up doors to the US government that you would never get if you went at it privately from the outside.

Re: CIA Labs

#19

Post by lmg643 »

decent amount of history indicates CIA had been partnering with academics and private industry for decades. Seems like this is an attempt to broaden the funnel of participants, away from key strategic efforts into DARPA-style R&D land?

Re: CIA Labs

#20

Post by xxpor »

dalbasal wrote: post #12
thebean11 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like a strange proposition, I take all the risk of creating a new technology that will likely fail, and then if I beat the odds and succeed I'm capped at 150k? Also, if I'm not allowed to monetize my technology or patents, do I really own them? Is this just a bad startup incubator?

No. The point is that you don't take the risk. You have a job. You get a salary. This usually means that you have no risk and no upside. The idea here is that you have some upside, but still take no risk. IDK if this works in practice, but the principle is that.

You still take a risk because if your project fails for whatever reason, you're stuck on a CIA salary, rather than a SV salary where you'd probably be making twice as much even if your project fails there too.
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