On this episode of The Defense Unicorns Podcast, the question isn’t just how to deliver software—it’s how to do it faster, safer, and smarter. According to Bryan Finster Distinguished Engineer at Defense Unicorns, the answer isn’t in rigid frameworks or bloated processes but in embracing continuous delivery, shortening feedback loops, and eliminating the bureaucratic roadblocks that hold teams back. Host Rebecca Lively sits down with Bryan to debunk DevSecOps’ myths, tackle the frustrations of “Agile theater,” and explore why real software success comes from a culture of ownership, not just following a set of rules.

Bryan makes a compelling case that rigid processes, review boards, and bureaucratic bottlenecks don’t make software safer—they make it fragile. He argues that adaptability is the real key to security, and that organizations clinging to outdated waterfall-style contracts are setting themselves up for failure. Drawing on experiences from Walmart’s supply chain to government defense systems, he explains how fostering a culture of ownership, feedback, and accountability leads to better outcomes—not just for users, but for the engineers who build the systems.

If you’re tired of buzzwords and top-down mandates that miss the mark, this conversation will hit home. Bryan isn’t just here to talk about DevSecOps—he’s here to challenge the way you think about software, leadership, and even history. Whether you want to deliver better software or just hear an unfiltered take on why Agile often fails in practice, this episode is worth a listen.

Key Quote:

“ The goal we have is number one, I need to be able to respond to the realities of what's happening in production as quickly as possible safely. I don't want to be making up ways to. Make change, I don't want to be cowboying change in when something's going wrong in production, either with security breach or functional problems or whatever it is, then I don't want to be throwing gasoline on a fire at three o'clock in the morning. I need to be able to recover from what's currently occurring as quickly and safely as possible. So operational responsiveness is key. The other part is, if I'm building something new, software development is not the same as building a car. Unless you think of it as designing the car we're going to build. We're prototyping everything all the time. And the bigger the thing is that we deliver. The more wrong is in that prototype. And so it's not about speed. It's about feedback.”

• Bryan Finster

Time Stamps:

(01:39) Balancing Speed and Safety in DevOps

(03:53) The Role of Feedback in Software Development

(12:35) The Power of Feedback and Continuous Improvement

(18:35) Understanding Conway's Law

(23:55) Building a Strong Engineering Community

(28:26) DevOps and Quality Assurance

(33:48) Being Agile in High-Risk Environments

(40:13) Lightning Round

Links:

Connect with Bryan Finster

Connect with Rebecca Lively

Learn More About Defense Unicorns