In Pursuit with Mike Vichich — Government Technology & Public Sector Sales
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Podcast Overview
<p><b>In Pursuit</b> is a podcast about how government really works — how decisions are made, how procurement actually functions, and how progress gets built inside public sector systems.</p><p></p><p>Each episode features candid conversations with government officials, procurement directors, policy practitioners, and private sector leaders navigating the intersection of business and government. We cover the decisions that happen long before a contract goes public, the relationships that shape policy, and the strategies that move the needle in public administration.</p><p></p><p>If you work in government, sell to it, or want to understand how public sector decisions shape the world around you — In Pursuit gives you the access and context to navigate it.</p>
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Publishing Since
2/5/2026
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Recent Episodes
June 28, 2026
In Pursuit #12 | Mike Vichich & Art Thompson — IT's Role in Vendor Selection & Budget Decisions
<p>Detroit CIO Art Thompson breaks down how cities actually buy tech — RFPs, pilots, IT's role, and what gets vendors rejected.</p><p></p><p>Visit pursuit.us<br /><br />Timestamps:<br />00:00 Cold open: why government deals are a long-haul game<br />00:52 Meet Art Thompson, Detroit CIO & CISO<br />01:39 How a family tip led Art into city government<br />02:46 A day in the life of a city CIO<br />03:44 Working with the mayor and department leaders<br />04:44 When IT should get involved in a project<br />05:27 Does IT have veto power over a purchase?<br />06:13 Why integrations are a top priority<br />06:34 HIPAA, CJIS, and the compliance patchwork of government IT<br />07:19 Who owns integration work: city or vendor?<br />07:37 The rise of shadow IT<br />09:25 The "two wins": technical win vs. procurement win<br />11:14 How departments and IT divide responsibility<br />12:38 How Detroit pressure-tests vendors in demos<br />13:11 Pilots, proof of value, and why timing matters<br />14:05 How a 30-day RFP pilot actually works<br />14:38 Budget basics: department vs. enterprise purchases<br />16:13 IT's expanded role in multi-department deals<br />16:48 Cooperative contracts: NASPO, Sourcewell, Omnia<br />18:05 Detroit's RFP threshold and ordinance rules<br />18:29 How long an RFP cycle really takes<br />19:08 What happens after the award: city council process<br />20:24 Mapping the full procurement timeline<br />20:45 Contract negotiation: how long it takes<br />21:06 Toughest contract terms: indemnification & termination<br />21:50 When the city accepts less-favorable terms<br />22:21 How often Detroit negotiates with multiple vendors<br />22:21 Should agencies merge multiple RFPs into one?<br />24:25 OEMs vs. resellers/SIs: Art's preference<br />26:18 The best (and worst) way for vendors to engage<br />27:33 Why low RFP win rates make sense to Art<br />29:47 How early vendor meetings quietly shape RFPs<br />30:59 SaaS vs. capital vs. consumption: which model wins<br />32:11 Why credit-based AI pricing makes Art nervous<br />34:16 Per-user caps: do they solve the problem?<br />34:42 Revenue-aligned vendor models (the DMV kiosk example)<br />36:11 Case study: the Detroit body camera program<br />36:54 The DOJ consent decree that started it all<br />38:17 Officer pushback and how it was managed<br />40:48 Inside the body cam procurement and pilot<br />42:01 Installing and testing on real squad cars<br />43:06 How the testing team evolved over time<br />44:04 Pricing transparency during vendor evaluation<br />44:42 How body cams improved de-escalation<br />46:04 From body cams to the Real-Time Crime Center<br />47:45 Project Greenlight: private camera integration<br />48:03 Where AI fits into video review today<br />49:17 Data licensing and what the city can analyze<br />50:41 Inside the Real-Time Crime Center<br />51:36 How RTCC connects to 911 and dispatch<br />54:09 Setting the agenda with the police chief<br />55:36 Piloting new tech inside an existing contract<br />56:09 IT org growth: 2016 to today<br />57:34 Detroit's geospatial and GIS data initiatives<br />59:28 Where AI ranks among CIO priorities now<br />01:00:13 Detroit's AI guardrails and vendor risk reviews<br />01:02:02 How Art prioritizes which AI projects to pursue<br />01:03:22 AI red flags: what gets a vendor rejected<br />01:04:24 Art's biggest mindset shift after 10 years in gov<br />01:06:08 Closing thoughts</p>
June 8, 2026
In Pursuit #11 | Mike Vichich & Glenn Caldwell — Running a Township: Staffing, Unions & Culture
<p>Glenn Caldwell shares how Northville Township funds $45M projects, negotiates 5 unions, and runs lean government without raising taxes.<br /><br />Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://pursuit.us" target="_blank">pursuit.us</a><br /><br />Timestamps:<br />0:00 Intro<br />0:35 Glenn's Origin Story: Co-op at 16, Straight to Government<br />3:26 The Arc of Township Budgets: Pre-Recession to Recovery<br />4:41 How a Township's Budget Works: Revenue Sources<br />5:16 Shared Services & Intergovernmental Agreements<br />9:02 Roads, the County, and Navigating What You Don't Own<br />11:28 Public Works: Water, Sewer & the $4M Water Tower<br />14:56 Procurement Philosophy: Why Low Bid Isn't Always Right<br />17:13 Township Governance: Charters, Ordinances & State Law<br />18:29 The Central Services Complex: $45M Without Raising Taxes<br />21:55 Capital Budgeting & the 6-Year Improvement Plan<br />29:05 Leadership Philosophy: Hire Well, Then Get Out of the Way<br />31:37 Managing Directors: Weekly 1-on-1s & Accountability<br />34:35 Five Unions: How Northville Negotiates Without Attorneys<br />42:41 Discipline & Progressive Counseling in Local Government<br />45:54 Leadership Transitions & Staff Turnover<br />47:59 Public Sector Incentives: What Actually Drives Performance<br />50:46 The Government Value Proposition: Pensions, Benefits & Balance<br />52:32 How Government Pensions Actually Work<br />55:06 AI in Local Government: Efficiency, Governance & Data Privacy</p>
May 24, 2026
In Pursuit #10 | Mike Vichich & Jim Weaver — The Real Role of a State CIO: Beyond Managing IT
<p>For this episode of In Pursuit, we sat down with Jim Weaver — former State CIO of Washington, CIO and Cabinet Secretary of North Carolina, CTO of Pennsylvania, and past president of NASCIO.<br /><br />If you've ever wondered why a deal that seemed solid just stalled, or why timing your outreach to a state matters as much as your pitch — Jim explains the mechanics that most vendors never see from the inside.<br /><br />Visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://pursuit.us" target="_blank">pursuit.us</a><br /><br />Timestamps:<br />00:00 Intro<br />01:11 Meet Jim Weaver: 37 Years on the Buying Side<br />01:57 What a State CIO Actually Does (It's Not Running IT)<br />05:30 The State IT Org Chart: Centralized vs. Decentralized<br />11:11 Trade-Offs of Centralization — and Why Cybersecurity Is the Exception<br />13:39 Growing Up in Human Services: Why Business Context Matters<br />17:02 How Agency IT and Central IT Learn to Coexist<br />20:08 Taking Over Washington State IT: An Agency Graded F-Minus<br />25:38 Building Trust With Your Team After a Turnaround<br />28:00 How Initiatives Get From Idea to Funded Budget<br />31:20 Stack Ranking Projects Across an Entire State<br />36:05 What Happens to Initiatives Under a Continuing Resolution<br />40:50 The Annual State Budget Cycle, Step by Step<br />43:22 How Federal Budget Uncertainty Cascades Into State IT<br />45:11 How Vendors and Lobbyists Fit Into the Budget Cycle<br />48:49 The Mainframe-as-a-Service Deal That Saved Washington Millions<br />54:39 Mainframes in 2024: Still Relevant? GenAI and COBOL<br />57:17 NextGen 911 in North Carolina: Building Statewide Resilience<br />01:00:14 Hurricane Helene: When the System Got Tested for Real<br />01:03:16 AI in Government: Cost of Ownership and the Human-in-the-Loop<br />01:09:23 Closing Thoughts</p>
12 total episodes available
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- What is In Pursuit with Mike Vichich — Government Technology & Public Sector Sales?
<p><b>In Pursuit</b> is a podcast about how government really works — how decisions are made, how procurement actually functions, and how progress gets built inside public sector systems.</p><p></p><p>Each episode features candid conversations with government officials, procurement directors, policy practitioners, and private sector leaders navigating the intersection of business and government. We cover the decisions that happen long before a contract goes public, the relationships that shape policy, and the strategies that move the needle in public administration.</p><p></p><p>If you work in government, sell to it, or want to understand how public sector decisions shape the world around you — In Pursuit gives you the access and context to navigate it.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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