He left US Special Ops to Make $18.7K /Month With Government Contracts

One of the questions I get asked more than almost anything else these days is:

"Is AI going to replace government contracting consultants?"

It's a fair question.

AI is transforming nearly every industry, and government contracting is no exception. New tools are emerging every month that promise to automate proposal writing, market research, capture planning, lead generation, and countless other tasks that traditionally required hours of manual work.

But after spending years in this industry and recently sitting down with Dakota Ward—a former Air Force Combat Controller, GovClose graduate, government contracting consultant, and founder of RFP Easy—I'm more convinced than ever that AI isn't replacing government contracting professionals.

It's empowering them.

And the professionals who learn how to leverage AI effectively are going to have a massive advantage over those who don't.

From Combat Controller to Government Contracting Entrepreneur

One of the things I love about the government contracting world is that there is no single path to success.

Dakota's journey is a perfect example.

Before entering government contracting, Dakota served as a Combat Controller in the United States Air Force. His career involved operating in some of the most demanding environments imaginable, coordinating critical missions and solving complex problems under pressure.

When he transitioned into the government contracting space, he quickly discovered something that many newcomers experience:

The federal marketplace is incredibly complex.

There are regulations.

Acquisition processes.

Proposal requirements.

Contract vehicles.

Compliance standards.

Relationship-building requirements.

And a learning curve that can feel overwhelming at first.

Yet Dakota immersed himself in the process.

Instead of waiting until he felt like an expert, he started learning through action.

He pursued opportunities relentlessly.

He worked with clients.

He studied acquisitions.

He learned the federal sales process.

And he discovered something that many successful government contractors eventually realize:

Government contracting isn't learned from textbooks.

It's learned by doing.

The Problem Nobody Talks About: Government Contracting Is Slow

One of the biggest frustrations across the entire federal marketplace is speed.

Or more accurately, the lack of it.

Every contractor, consultant, and account executive has experienced it.

The acquisition process can move painfully slowly.

Opportunities take months to develop.

Solicitations take time to release.

Proposals require enormous effort.

Evaluations can stretch for months.

Awards can take even longer.

The reality is that government contracting often operates on timelines that feel completely disconnected from the pace of modern business.

For many companies, this creates serious challenges.

The longer processes take, the more expensive they become.

The more manual work involved, the greater the opportunity for mistakes.

The more fragmented systems become, the harder it is to manage growth.

Dakota experienced these frustrations firsthand.

And instead of simply accepting them, he decided to build a solution.

Why Dakota Created RFP Easy

Like many consultants, Dakota found himself constantly switching between tools.

One platform for customer relationship management.

Another for proposal tracking.

A spreadsheet for opportunity management.

Separate software for lead generation.

Email systems.

Shared folders.

Document repositories.

Project management tools.

The result was fragmented workflows and unnecessary inefficiencies.

Important information was scattered across multiple systems.

Teams struggled to stay aligned.

Clients often lacked visibility into project status.

And countless hours were lost performing tasks that should have been automated.

That experience ultimately led Dakota to create RFP Easy.

His goal wasn't simply to create another government contracting software platform.

His goal was to create a centralized system specifically designed around the realities of federal contracting.

Why Government Contractors Need Industry-Specific Tools

One of the mistakes many software companies make is assuming that generic business tools can fully support government contracting.

The truth is that government contracting operates differently than almost any other market.

Federal sales cycles are unique.

Proposal requirements are unique.

Compliance requirements are unique.

Acquisition processes are unique.

Relationships with contracting officers and program managers require specialized knowledge.

As a result, many contractors end up forcing general-purpose software into workflows it was never designed to handle.

RFP Easy was built to address those specific challenges.

The platform brings together several critical functions under one system, including:

• Opportunity discovery
• Lead tracking
• Capture planning
• Proposal management
• Contracting officer research
• Client communication
• Sales roadmaps
• AI-assisted proposal support

Instead of juggling multiple disconnected platforms, users can manage much of their federal business development process from a single environment.

The Real Power of AI in Government Contracting

When people hear "AI," they often jump to one extreme.

They assume artificial intelligence will replace entire professions.

That's not what Dakota believes.

And it's not what I've observed either.

Government contracting is ultimately a relationship-driven business.

Winning contracts requires:

• Strategic thinking
• Relationship development
• Communication
• Trust
• Experience
• Judgment

AI cannot replace those things.

What AI can do is eliminate enormous amounts of administrative work.

Think about the time contractors spend:

• Reading lengthy solicitations
• Extracting requirements
• Organizing proposal sections
• Managing documentation
• Searching contract databases
• Building research summaries
• Reviewing compliance requirements

These tasks are important.

But they're also time-consuming.

AI excels at helping professionals complete those tasks faster and more accurately.

That's where the real value exists.

Not replacing expertise.

Amplifying it.

Why Data Matters More Than Ever

One of the most powerful aspects of modern government contracting is access to data.

Federal spending information is publicly available.

Contract award history is publicly available.

Agency buying patterns are publicly available.

Yet many contractors still rely on guesswork.

Dakota wanted to change that.

By integrating spending data from USAspending.gov directly into the platform, users can quickly identify:

• Which agencies buy their services
• How much money is being spent
• Who the incumbent contractors are
• Which contracting offices are involved
• Historical buying trends

Instead of making assumptions, contractors can build strategies based on actual spending behavior.

That's a huge competitive advantage.

The Transparency Problem Most Firms Ignore

One insight Dakota shared that really stood out to me involves transparency.

Many consultants and contractors still manage projects through spreadsheets, disconnected emails, and scattered documents.

Clients often have no idea what's happening behind the scenes.

They're forced to ask for updates constantly.

That creates frustration for everyone involved.

Transparency builds trust.

And trust is one of the most valuable assets in government contracting.

RFP Easy addresses this challenge by giving clients real-time visibility into activities, proposal progress, milestones, and documentation.

Instead of wondering what's happening, clients can see progress for themselves.

That simple shift can dramatically improve client relationships.

Why Relationships Still Matter More Than Technology

One feature that generated a lot of interest during our discussion was the contracting officer search functionality.

The ability to identify contracting officers, review award histories, and better understand acquisition activity is incredibly valuable.

But Dakota also emphasized something important.

Data alone isn't enough.

Relationships still matter.

Government contracting is a surprisingly small community.

People talk.

Reputations matter.

Professionalism matters.

Just because technology makes it easier to identify government personnel doesn't mean outreach should become aggressive or transactional.

The contractors who succeed long term understand how to build genuine professional relationships.

Technology should support that process—not replace it.

The Growing Problem of Government Contracting Scams

Unfortunately, as government contracting becomes more popular, scams continue to grow.

Every year I see people lose money to consultants promising:

• Guaranteed contracts
• Fast government awards
• Immediate success
• Secret shortcuts

The reality is that nobody can legally guarantee a government contract.

Nobody.

Federal acquisitions simply don't work that way.

Winning contracts requires effort, strategy, relationship-building, and execution.

When evaluating consultants or service providers, I always recommend looking for:

• Real experience
• Verifiable results
• Professional references
• Legitimate business operations
• Transparent expectations

If someone promises overnight success, that's usually a warning sign.

The Bigger Opportunity Behind the Software

What impressed me most about Dakota's journey wasn't the technology itself.

It was what the technology represents.

He identified a real problem.

He experienced it personally.

Then he built a solution.

That's entrepreneurship.

Government contracting is full of inefficiencies.

It's full of opportunities to improve processes.

It's full of challenges waiting to be solved.

The professionals who recognize those opportunities and build solutions around them often create tremendous value.

And that's exactly what Dakota is doing with RFP Easy.

Final Thoughts

After speaking with Dakota, one thing became crystal clear:

AI is not replacing government contracting professionals.

It's making great professionals even better.

The future belongs to people who combine:

• Industry expertise
• Strong relationships
• Strategic thinking
• Data-driven decision making
• Technology adoption

Government contracting will always require human judgment, communication, and trust.

But the professionals who learn to leverage AI effectively will operate faster, smarter, and more efficiently than ever before.

That's not a threat.

That's an opportunity.

And for those willing to embrace it, the future of government contracting looks incredibly exciting.

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