Question 1

Is an Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) a scalable public sector strategy?

Accepted Answer

Enterprise License Agreements (ELAs) are often misunderstood as a shortcut to scale. In reality, they’re a result of structural traction, aligned funding, and multi-agency adoption—not a standalone growth strategy. PSF helps organizations assess readiness and build toward sustainable ELA opportunities.

Question 2

Does getting an ATO mean your product is ready to scale in government?

Accepted Answer

An Authority to Operate (ATO) validates security—not scalability. Public sector growth requires alignment across compliance, funding, pricing, and delivery—beyond the ATO milestone. PSF works with teams to translate ATO into traction.

Question 3

What are the tradeoffs between FedRAMP, white-label, and hybrid authorization models?

Accepted Answer

Each authorization pattern impacts roadmap speed, reuse, control, and long-term pricing power. Choosing the wrong model can delay adoption and fragment your go-to-market strategy. PSF helps evaluate and align the right path for your market objectives.

Question 4

How does OMB's FedRAMP Waiver change SaaS entry into the federal market?

Accepted Answer

OMB Memo M-24-15 introduces a risk-informed waiver model that may reduce barriers for mission-critical SaaS. But success depends on timing, trust, and architecture—not waiver status alone. PSF helps teams navigate these factors strategically.

Question 5

What’s the best way for health tech platforms to align with FedRAMP, HIPAA, and FCC?

Accepted Answer

There’s no one-size-fits-all compliance path. The best approach depends on use case, data flow, and how your platform maps to clinical, cloud, and consumer environments within the public sector. PSF helps health tech teams architect for success.

Question 6

Why does public sector traction depend on structure—not just sales?

Accepted Answer

Sales teams often chase interest before a product is truly adoptable. Traction requires structural readiness across procurement, funding, and deployment—not just outreach. PSF helps teams build that structure from day one.

Question 7

How should security be built into public sector product architecture?

Accepted Answer

Security shouldn’t be gated at compliance. For mission adoption, it must be embedded as an engineering constraint that shapes design, deployment, and data posture. PSF helps teams operationalize this mindset in their product development.

Question 8

Why is public sector packaging different from commercial SaaS?

Accepted Answer

Public sector packaging must reflect budget thresholds, user roles, and funding cycles. Flat SKUs stall growth; fragmented SKUs create friction. The right model unlocks adoption. PSF helps clients design packaging that sells.

Question 9

What should early-stage SaaS teams know before entering the public sector?

Accepted Answer

Early-stage SaaS teams must align their product architecture, compliance roadmap, and pricing models with how government agencies plan, fund, and procure technology—before launching a public sector go-to-market strategy. PSF accelerates that alignment.

Question 10

How do I evaluate if my public sector product needs FedRAMP or a different path?

Accepted Answer

Not every product requires FedRAMP. Teams must assess use case, hosting model, and agency policies to determine if FedRAMP, StateRAMP, HIPAA, or another trust mechanism aligns with procurement requirements. PSF provides strategic clarity on that path.

Question 11

How does public sector funding structure impact GTM strategy?

Accepted Answer

Public sector funding drives purchasing behavior. GTM strategy must reflect fiscal cycles, budget thresholds, and justification mechanisms to match buyer readiness and unlock contracting momentum. PSF builds funding-aware GTM plans.

Question 12

Why do public sector SKUs need to be defensible?

Accepted Answer

Defensible SKUs align with how budget offices evaluate spend. Without structure tied to user types, mission needs, and pricing logic, procurement friction increases and deal velocity stalls. PSF helps you build SKUs that scale.

Question 13

Can I reuse my FedRAMP package for multiple agencies or partners?

Accepted Answer

Yes—with the right architecture. Reuse depends on how you structure inheritance, shared controls, and deployment models. Misalignment can limit portability and extend authorization timelines. PSF architects for reuse from the start.

Question 14

What does public sector market readiness really mean?

Accepted Answer

Market readiness means your product, documentation, compliance posture, pricing, and acquisition model are all aligned to how government buyers evaluate and adopt technology. Without this, sales cycles extend and trust erodes. PSF operationalizes market readiness.

Question 15

How can I build long-term growth in government without relying on resellers?

Accepted Answer

By aligning your architecture with direct contracting pathways, strategic partners, and defensible GTM models, you reduce dependency on resellers and retain more margin, control, and buyer trust. PSF designs channel strategies for durable growth.

PSF Edge™ Insights

Patterns at the intersection of product, policy, and scale

Great UX Isn’t Enough: Why Good Products Fail in Government

An ELA Is a Goal, Not a Pathway

Shift Left. Level Up — Security

Public Sector Traction Starts with Structure