Best GovCon Books, Podcasts, Articles and More of 2024

Here in the GovCon industry, we like to stay on top of the latest trends, best practices, and technology improvements to help us stay ahead of the competition. Here we looked at the best books, blogs, podcasts, articles, and more from 2024.

Top Books

1. "Venture Meets Mission: Aligning People, Purpose, and Profit to Innovate and Transform Society" by Arun Gupta, Gerard George, and Thomas J. Fewer

The world is facing dramatic geopolitical, environmental, and technological shifts. Venture Meets Mission argues that if Business, Government, and Society come together, rebuild trust, and collaborate, we have a generational opportunity to address societal challenges―climate change, cybersecurity, disease outbreaks, food insecurity, and education. The book explains, with hope and passion, how our existing entrepreneurial ecosystem, with the ideals of democracy, can be the foundation for a new mission-driven capitalism. (LINK)

2. "The GovCon Winners Way: How To Win Government Contracts Faster Than Trying to Do It Alone." by Dr. Kizzy Parks.

This book outlines the steps Dr. Kizzy Parks took to win over $50 Million in Federal Government contracts. Dr. Kizzy Parks wrote this book to show you step-by- step everything you need to know to get started in government contracting and to win profitable contracts. Packed with success tips and actionable steps, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in winning government contracts. (LINK)

3. “The Journey of Leadership: How CEOs Learn to Lead from the Inside Out.” By Dana Maor, Hans-Werner Kaas, Kurt Strovink, and Ramesh Srinivasan.

This book is the first-ever explanation of McKinsey’s step-by-step approach to transforming leaders professionally and personally, including revealing lessons from its legendary CEO leadership program, The Bower Forum, which has counseled more than five hundred global CEOs over the past decade. It is a journey that helps leaders hone the psychological, emotional, and, ultimately, human attributes that result in success in today’s most demanding top job. (LINK)

4. "Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World.” By Parmy Olson.

Told by the former tech writer at Bloomberg, this story recounts the astonishing story of the battle between these two AI firms, their struggles to use tech for good, and the hazardous direction they could go as they serve two tech Goliaths whose power is unprecedented. (LINK)

5. “Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War.” By Raj Shah and Christopher Kirchoff.

The Pentagon is known for its uncomfortable relationship with Silicon Valley and for slow-moving processes that acted as a brake on innovation. Unit X was specifically designed as a bridge to Valley technologists that would accelerate bringing state-of-the-art software and hardware to the battle space. Given authority to cut through red tape and function almost as a venture capital firm, Shah, Kirchhoff, and others in the Unit who came after were tasked particularly with meeting immediate military needs with technology from Valley startups rather than from so-called “primes.” (LINK)

6. “The Small Business Playbook—The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: Practical Steps to Become a Profitable Business Owner.” By Pete Srodoski.

This book is a comprehensive, step-by-step manual designed to navigate you through the complexities of owning and operating a small business. Srodoski leverages his vast experience as a CEO, COO, and empathetic leader to bring you a practical guide that covers everything from crafting a compelling vision to strategic planning, financial management, and beyond. (LINK)

7. “BD 360°: A New Spin on Federal Sales.” By Lisa Shea Mundt and Amber Hart.

Government Business Development starts here. Are you ready to revolutionize your approach to federal government sales? Introducing BD 360°, the groundbreaking guide designed to elevate your GovCon sales game. Experience the transformative power of The Pulse of GovCon (The Pulse)—where innovation meets expertise. This book creates a seamless journey through the intricate federal marketplace. (LINK)

Top Podcasts

1. Breaking the Standard

Breaking the Standard is committed to using the podcast as a platform to educate, inform, and connect with others in the small business government contracting community, both industry and government. (LINK)

2. GovCon Giants with Eric Coffie

The podcast is dedicated to showcasing the scalability of growing a business harnessing the power of federal dollars. Meet some of the world’s greatest masterminds behind the trillion-dollar behemoth. (LINK)

3. FedBiz'5

FedBiz’s podcast covers topics related to doing business with the federal government. It’s an excellent resource for those just starting off in the industry. (LINK)

4. Federal News Network Podcast(s)

Like the other podcasts above, the Federal News Network Podcast offers a bunch of podcast series dedicated to covering the government contracting industry. You’ll see interviews with government CIOs, federal insights, data crunching, federal employee information, and many other related topics. (LINK)

5. NSA Podcast

While not specifically government contracting-related, this podcast offered by the National Security Agency is one of the best podcasts offers by the government, offering some great spy stories, behind-the-scenes glances at the otherwise very secretive agency. (LINK)

5. The Government Huddle Podcast with Brian Chidester

“Aligning the WHY with the HOW” with current trends, bold predictions, expert guests and innovative concepts on how to respond. Government Huddle is an ongoing series presented by Government Marketing University. This podcast provides a platform for collaboration between government and industry to ensure that all listeners walk away empowered with greater knowledge on how to better market to their targeted federal, state and local prospects. (LINK)

Top Articles and Blogs

1. "Unlock Your GovCon Success: 20 Social Media Sources Every Contractor Needs" by Lohfeld Consulting Group

In government contracting, staying ahead of the curve is key. But how do you know where to tune in with the avalanche of social media podcasts, YouTube channels, and radio broadcasts? Lohfield Consulting curated a list of 20 must-follow LinkedIn groups, podcasts, YouTube channels, and radio broadcasts that will equip you with the insights and tools to win more contracts and grants. (LINK)

2. "GovCon Expert Kevin Plexico Shares Top 5 Themes & Challenges Government Contractors Are Seeing in 2024" on GovCon Wire

Here are five of the main themes/challenges affecting government contractors in 2024 from a Deltek’s Government Contracting Clarity Study, with added context from our analysts and other key influencers in the GovCon market. I know, 2024 is over now, but the results were pretty spot-on, so be on the lookout for a 2025 report. (LINK)

3. "An Update on Government Contracting Trends in 2024" by FedBiz Access

This is a similar list as #2 above, with many of the same trends identified, but perhaps with a different emphasis. And check out #9….”preparing for the year-end spending surge.” That’s now…so see what this article suggests you should be doing to prepare. (LINK)

4. "GovConJudicata" Blog by Josh Duvall

GovConJudicata is a blog that provides news, insights, and legal analysis for anyone interested in staying current with government contracts and cybersecurity issues. (LINK)

Top Reports

1. Report on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO).

Released in March 2024, this report provided a comprehensive historical overview of U.S. government involvement with UAPs, commonly known as UFOs. It concluded that official investigations had not found empirical evidence suggesting that reported sightings represented off-world technology or any classified programs hidden from Congress. (LINK)

2. The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2024 to 2034. Congressional Budget Office.

This report offered projections on federal spending, revenues, and the overall economic outlook, highlighting a significant federal deficit and rising debt levels. (LINK | An Update to the Report)

3. 2024 Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States. Office of the National Cyber Director.

Published in May 2024 by the Office of the National Cyber Director, this report evaluates the nation's cybersecurity landscape, highlighting evolving risks to critical infrastructure, ransomware threats, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the implications of AI. It outlines current efforts to enhance federal coordination, strengthen the national cyber workforce, and invest in resilient technologies. (LINK)

Top YouTube Channels

1. Government Contracting For Beginners. Proposalthatwins.

Made by Kizzy Parks, this channel aims to help you learn how to find, bid, and win profitable contracts and support others thinking of getting into the business. (LINK)

2. Government Contracting Academy.

Government Contracting Academy provides long-term mentoring relationships, industry resources, tools and templates necessary to help our clients launch 100% compliant Federal Government contracting companies with the ability to penetrate markets, scale and create lasting equity. (LINK)

3. How to Sell To & Win Federal Government Contracts. Jennifer Schaus.

Learn how to win direct contracts and sub-contracts with federal departments. (LINK)

4. GovCon Giants with Eric Coffie.

Eric’s slogan, teaching everyday people how to win extraordinary contracts is the mantra that guides all that he does. Eric would like to help 500 companies achieve $5 million in revenue via government contracts resulting in a $2.5B impact for underrepresented founders. (LINK)

5. Government Contracting, Streamlined - GovConHacks

GovConHacks aims to save you time and money, enabling you to work smarter, not harder. With step-by-step guides on procurement readiness, creating winning marketing materials and proposals, as well as insider tips on business efficiency, you'll find information designed to streamline your path to success. (LINK)