Latest news with #resourceallocation
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: Hegseth's security requirements strain Army's CID
The Army agency tasked with protecting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his family is under serious strain, forcing the group to reallocate resources from criminal investigations. The Army's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) works to protect Hegseth, 45, his family members and residences. It also acts as the Army's police force, investigating felony crimes and violations of U.S. military code. Sources familiar with the operation say the multi-million dollar initiative to protect Hegseth and his family has diverted agents from essential investigations the Washington Post reports. The agents have been sent to protect Hegseth's properties in Tennessee , Minnesota and D.C. They have also been tasked with the protection of the former Fox News host's seven children, split among three different wives. 'I've never seen this many security teams for one guy,' one CID official told the Post. 'Nobody has.' While Hegseth enjoys outings with his family, a phalanx of security can often be spotted on the perimeters of the secretary and his brood. In one instance, when the Daily Mail spotted Hegseth out to eat in South West D.C., over half a dozen security personnel were spotted surrounding the Pentagon boss, his young children, and wife, Jennifer Hegseth. 'We have complete inability to achieve our most basic missions,' another person familiar with the matter told the Washington Post. But the Pentagon pushed back on the report. 'Any action pertaining to the security of Secretary Hegseth and his family has been in response to the threat environment and at the full recommendation the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID),' Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told the Daily Mail in a comment. 'When left-wing blogs like the Washington Post continue to dox cabinet secretaries' security protocols and movements, it puts lives at risk.' In addition to Hegseth CID is also tasked with defending other top military personnel. The protection of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army secretary, and other top Pentagon officials is also the responsibility of CID agents. Typically, around 150 of the 1,500 CID agents have served on VIP security details, multiple sources revealed.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why Resource Allocation Defines Your Startup's Future
Swami Kakarla CEO & Founder, Signitives IT Solutions. getty Ideas ignite startups, but it's disciplined allocation that determines if they survive the journey. We celebrate product-market fit, hustle and 10-times growth mantras, but often overlook what truly separates companies that scale from those that stall: how founders allocate their limited resources—capital, time, talent, and focus—at every stage of the journey. Early on, everything feels urgent, and everything feels important. But great founders learn to prioritize, allocate and focus with precision, even while maintaining the agility that defines a startup. Key Principles For Founders To Master Resource Allocation 1. Capital Is Oxygen, Not Just Fuel Early-stage founders often view capital as fuel to burn fast for growth. Seasoned founders see capital as oxygen to extend runway, test and learn without compromising stability. Allocate your capital with clarity; don't overspend on vanity or under-invest in traction. At my company, we built a strong customer success foundation before expanding aggressively, ensuring customer love paid for our next stage of growth. Amazon did the same, reinvesting in customer experience and infrastructure, not in large offices or unnecessary overhead. 2. Time Is Your Most Scarce Resource Where you spend your time signals company priorities. Steve Jobs spent his energy on product vision and customer experience while empowering his team to execute operational details. As a founder, I've found that reserving my best hours for customer calls, top talent hiring and product reviews drives disproportionate outcomes. I block focused time daily to work on what moves the company forward, resisting the lure of busywork. 3. Align Team Energy With Strategic Priorities Every hire is an allocation decision. Don't hire to fill tasks; hire to compound capabilities that align with your mission and growth stage. Invest in people who can learn, adapt, and take ownership as the company evolves. Once you hire, clarity of direction is essential. At my company, we implement a 'why, what, how' alignment for every new initiative so teams know the mission, the goal and their path to contribute. This ensures even small teams operate with founder-level clarity, turning them into extensions of your strategic priorities. 4. Focus Is A Resource—Protect It Startups often drown in distractions—new features, side projects, unnecessary experiments. Allocate your focus on what moves the needle: customer needs, scalable distribution and product-market fit. I learned to ask before taking on new initiatives: Does this help us acquire, retain or delight customers? If not, it's a distraction. One founder practice that's helped me is a weekly 'focus audit,' trimming low-impact activities to protect deep work time. 5. Build A War Chest Before You Need It Warren Buffett's philosophy of holding cash for opportunities rather than emergencies is relevant even for startups. It's tempting to spend aggressively during good times, but I've found that setting aside a cash buffer lets you hire great people quickly and invest when others pull back. During a funding winter, that optionality can be the difference between scaling and stalling. 6. Measure Return On Resources Ask: Does this dollar, hour or hire bring us closer to customer love and scalable growth? Does this decision create compounding advantages or simply consume resources? If it doesn't pass this filter, reconsider. Adapt Your Allocation As You Grow Smart founders adjust their allocation playbook with each stage: • Pre-Product-Market Fit: Time and focus on customers and iterations. • Post-PMF: Talent allocation for building and scaling. • Scaling: Capital allocation for distribution, efficiency, and market capture. At every stage, your job as a founder is to allocate your limited resources like a Fortune 500 CEO while keeping the hunger and adaptability of a startup. That's how you turn a fragile idea into an enduring company. Because in the end, it's not just your idea that wins; it's how you invest every ounce of your resources to bring it to life. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
