Venturing into uncharted territory can be daunting. But for Van Sullivan, CEO of Trideum, it’s the very essence of growth. He didn’t build Trideum, a highly successful engineering services contractor for the federal government, by playing it safe. Trideum thrives on strategy, meticulous planning, and a commitment to innovation. At the intersection of national defense and private sector ingenuity, Trideum provides cutting-edge engineering for testing weapons systems and training military personnel, making its role in supporting the U.S. military profoundly important.

Trideum’s unwavering dedication to innovation has fueled its remarkable expansion, a feat rarely seen in its industry. The company has doubled in size within the past two years and has earned a coveted spot on the Inc. 5000 list five times in seven years. What’s Van’s “secret sauce”? A willingness to cultivate strategic growth, even if it requires patience and a long-term perspective.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Van on the podcast, where he generously shared his insights on how he’s transformed his strategic vision into tangible results since completing the Birthing of Giants Fellowship Program in April 2017. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Strategic Implementation and Relentless Monitoring

To steer Trideum’s impressive growth, Van and his team developed a strategic plan two and a half years ago, coupled with a robust system of metrics to meticulously track progress. This wasn’t a “set it and forget it” approach. Van actively monitored the company’s trajectory, making adjustments as needed. The result? The strategic plan achieved its goals, proving the power of focused execution.

As Van reflected, “It seemed rather overwhelming at the time. Guess what? Two and a half years later, we’re there. We’ve attained those goals. Now what?” This speaks to the dynamic nature of growth and the need for continual vision.

2. Leveraging Intellectual Capital for Expansion

Van recognized a significant untapped asset within Trideum: the intellectual capital the company consistently generated for its clients. He saw an opportunity to harness this knowledge to fuel Trideum’s own growth and expansion. This realization sparked a dedicated effort to conduct thorough market assessments and, crucially, to secure intellectual property rights for the products they develop.

Van emphasized the collaborative effort involved: “We spent a lot of time transitioning new contracts and growing as a result of that. That’s been an all-hands effort.”

3. The Pursuit of Continual Improvement

While this new strategic direction has been instrumental in Trideum’s growth, Van candidly acknowledged that the process has been “staggeringly, agonizingly slow.” However, this extended timeline has provided a valuable opportunity for introspection and the identification of areas for improvement.

Van shared a key realization: “I took a step back and I realized that we had no one in the company that had any experience with intellectual property, product development, support, et cetera. I thought, ‘Geez, no wonder we’re having issues.’ We’re making it up as we go!”

This honest assessment highlights Van’s commitment to continuous learning and improvement, a quality that defines successful entrepreneurs. His willingness to identify weaknesses and take proactive steps to address them is a powerful lesson for us all.

Van Sullivan’s decision to develop intellectual capital for his business is a testament to the innovative spirit that drives entrepreneurial success. 

Read my full interview with Van Sullivan on Forbes.com