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The public sector isn’t short on talent. It’s short on alignment. And Mike Vichich is on a mission to fix it.
In this episode, Jamie sits down with Mike Vichich, CEO of Pursuit, to break down why legacy procurement processes are actively working against innovation and how data-driven models can realign the ecosystem.
From growing up in a family steeped in public service to building and exiting a successful tech company in the private sector, Mike brings a rare dual perspective. Now at the helm of Pursuit, he’s applying those lessons to one of the most complex and inefficient markets in America: public sector procurement.
They dive into:
- Why most civic tech projects fail before they start,
- What Mike learned from his previous company, Wisely,
- How Pursuit is rethinking the pipeline with precision targeting,
- What it takes to serve taxpayers like customers, not inconveniences, and much more.
This episode pulls back the curtain on incentive structures, misaligned risk, and why the most significant barrier to transformation isn't bureaucracy. It’s trust. If you're in the trenches trying to change the game, this one’s for you.
About Mike
Mike Vichich is the Cofounder & CEO of Pursuit (pursuit.us), an AI company simplifying how businesses find and win public-sector contracts. An accomplished entrepreneur, Mike previously founded and ran a company through acquisition by a public company for $187M in 2021. He is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups and mentoring founders who tackle challenging problems with creativity and grit. Outside the office, Mike lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his family, where they enjoy playing sports, exploring new destinations, and continuously learning something new together.
Guest Quote
“ In SLED, you might pick California, Texas, Florida, and New York. Those are the biggest budget states, and you got limited resources. So you hire people who have relationships, whether it's a sales rep or a consultant or an advisor, or a lobbyist, and they give you access to data. That was the old game, right? Relationships gave you data. The new game, we think, is that if you're actually able to listen to the transcripts, the plans, the budgets, the contracts, all the stuff that's happening in the public sector, that's being put out every day. If you could listen to that and then find where your opportunities are and prioritize based on who's got the pain, that data tells you what relationships to go build from a seller's perspective. So that's the fundamental frame that we're teeing up. We're not saying the relationships are gone, we're saying that you should use data to figure out what relationships you should be investing in.”
Time Stamps
00:00 - Episode Start
02:36 Mike's Journey
09:56 Balancing family values and career ambitions
18:24 Breaking into the public sector
22:48 Understanding incentives in the public sector
44:33 Breaking down RFP dynamics
49:08 Role of relationships in the public sector
53:25 The Three Farmer Syndrome
58:27 CAC vs COGS & How Venture Funds Really Work
01:08:06 Why government buyers get screwed on pricing
01:18:38 Fixing public sector tech: From SI boondoggles to smart SaaS
01:27:50 Rethinking regulation in public sector tech
01:32:48 Pursuit's approach to public sector solutions
01:45:44 The Roundup
Sponsor
Ever To Conquer is brought to you by RedLeif, a digital agency focused on accelerating the modernization and security of public sector data. Visit RedLeif.io to learn more.
Connect with Mike
Get in touch with Mike at mike@pursuit.us
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