H4D: The Birth of a Movement: Hacking for Defense®
Peter Newell Shares How One Class Sparked a Global Innovation Movement
When Steve Blank, Joe Felter, PhD, and Peter Newell first came together to create an academic course at Stanford University addressing defense-related problems, they had no idea it would revolutionize how national security challenges are tackled worldwide. What began as a single class — Hacking for Defense® (H4D) — has now expanded into a global movement, fundamentally changing the way we approach complex problem-solving in the 21st century.
The Hacking for Defense Manual is written by Jeff Decker, program director of Hacking for Defense and managing director of the Technology Transfer for Defense programs at Stanford University. In the book, H4D co-founder Col. Peter Newell (Ret.), now CEO of the innovation company BMNT, shared the origins of H4D and how the course bridges the students' innovative energy and ideas with the pressing needs of the Department of Defense and other government agencies.
"H4D is more than an academic course. It bridges the innovative spirit of students and the complex realities of national security," writes Newell. Using tools proven in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps and the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, H4D equips students with the mindset to tackle diverse, real-world challenges — from defense and diplomacy to energy and environmental concerns.”
H4D has become a catalyst for change, with more than 3,000 alumni and growing, it has expanded across three continents and inspired sister programs like Hacking for Diplomacy, Hacking for Impact, and Hacking for Oceans. More than 62 H4D teams have gone on to form dual-use companies, and roughly 50% of H4D alumni have joined the defense industrial base, proving the course’s long-lasting influence.
As Newell noted in the book, “H4D breaks the mold of traditional education, thrusting students into an entrepreneurial journey that mirrors the intensity and uncertainty of launching a startup. It’s a course that not only transforms careers but also addresses the world’s most critical problems, making it a must-take for entrepreneurial minds looking to make a real impact.”
Want to learn more about H4D and how it is reshaping national security and innovation? Read The Hacking for Defense Manual and discover why this course is a game-changer for entrepreneurial students looking to make a difference. Check out the book today on Amazon.
The Hacking for Defense program has created 70 startups that have generated 660 jobs and raised more than $350 million. To learn more about the H4D course at Stanford University, visit h4d.stanford.edu; to learn more about H4D around the world, visit h4d.us. To read excerpts of the NEW upcoming H4D textbook, subscribe to the H4D Stanford Substack at stanfordh4d.substack.com