Overview

The Lean Innovation for Public Services (ENTP 4399) course, sometimes referred to as “Hacking for Defense” is a university course sponsored by the Department of Defense that teaches students to work with the Defense and Intelligence Communities to rapidly address the nation’s emerging threats and security challenges.

It is a program of the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), powered by BMNT, Inc. and the Common Mission Project.

This hands-on course immerses student teams by having them test their business model hypotheses outside the classroom. Inside the classroom, it deliberately trades off lecture time for student/teaching team interaction. From the first day of class, teams get out of the classroom and learn by doing.

Benefits

  • Address real-world national security problems and learn how to apply lean startup methodologies (e.g., “business model canvas,” “customer development,” and “agile engineering”).
  • Combine experiential learning with theories and techniques successful entrepreneurs have used to build startups.
  • Work closely with the actual military, Department of Defense, and other government organizations to solve mission-critical problems. 
  • Learn to apply lean startup methods in any organization to increase creativity, innovation, and speed to solve important problems.

ENTP 4399.001 – Lean Innovation for Public Services
Instructor: Emily Choi

Testimonials

“H4D was a truly amazing experience. I met so many new like minded people, even from other majors, like myself! This class showed me that even an engineering major can succeed in business.”


Nikolas Hamon
BS’23 Mechanical Engineering

“Hacking 4 Defense was one of the most beneficial classes I took at UT Dallas because it gave me the opportunity to gain real world experience by addressing national security problems. Furthermore, I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with other students from different majors.”


Sarah Romanko
BA’22 Business Administration

“H4D taught me a new tool set (Mission Model Canvas) that I took with me and now use in other courses as well as my own career.”


Jonathan Steel
BA’23 Business Administration

“The Hacking for Defense course was an incredibly valuable experience for me. I enjoyed the challenge of applying the Lean Start-Up Method to help solve real problems found in various organizations in the Department of Defense—a unique and valuable experience for any undergraduate.”


Irvin Giovanil Orellana
BA’23 Business Administration