Ron Bouganim built his venture career by doing the opposite of what most investors suggested—focusing entirely on selling to government after making 562 pitches over 16 months to raise his first fund, and he still refuses to invest if a company's growth would ever come at the expense of genuinely helping government work better. He's also shaped his field in practical ways, like creating a product advisory council of former government officials who sign a pledge not to lobby, and he describes this govtech focus as something he plans to stick with for the rest of his life.