Pick science or health instead of defense from the list on the left.. but you would be missing out on "MDA23-T002: AI-Informed Algorithms Combined with Differential Game Theory to Support Swarm-on-Swarm Engagements".. Basically to help them build Skynet.
An eye opener is the list of top contractors to the US government:
The coolest one is Atlantic Diving Supply (No. 24): it started as a small dive shop that just happened to be located in Virginia Beach.. some Navy Seals kept ordering things from them.. then 9/11 happened..
"All you young fellas building tech companies that aren't making any money, meanwhile Town Hall has a contract out for $100k/year to clean the floors and no one's bidding on it."
"The contract requirements are geographically spread over the State of Alabama in the following counties: Clarke, Monroe, Wilcox, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Montgomery and Elmore along the R.R. “Bob” Woodruff Lake, William “Bill” Dannelly Reservoir and Claiborne Lake. Alabama River Lakes consists of approximately 1,092 miles of shoreline, 39,452 acres of water and 68,006 acres of land. Facilities include 6 Class A campgrounds, 38-day use/land water access areas, 9 Multi-purpose Areas, 3 Visitor Centers/museum, 9 maintained but undeveloped Natural Resource areas, 2 Contractor maintenance Compounds, along with a Resource Management Office and other associated operational facilities. Provide services for maintenance, repair, minor construction (as defined in AR-420-1 and DA PAM 420-11) including all planning, supervision, administration, labor, equipment, materials, supplies, and replacement or repair parts that is required for performance of this contract.
The contract scope of work will include, but is not limited to, some or all of the following types of work: maintenance and repair of buildings, facilities, offices, water and electrical systems, concrete structures, maintenance facilities, operational areas, roadways, vehicles, boat docks, bathhouses, washhouses, toilets, gatehouses, security fences, sanitary disposal systems, launching ramps, playground equipment, bulletin boards, game courts, playgrounds, telephone lines, picnic sites, campsites, and other related facilities."
Gov also isn't just federal, there's state and local! In general, the federal government is really bad at procuring pure software products (with some exceptions like Scale AI).
Edit to add: If you're building in the space, YC cofounder matching also does events targeted to gov once in a while, and I personally am doing some ideating if you want to chat
if only I knew what the government wanted to buy. Besides weaponry that is.