The Say-Do Gap: Why Execution Breaks Down—and How to Fix It

About this event

Join us for a candid and highly practical session with Dr. Dmitri Kossakovski, an engineering and business leader who has spent his career working in environments where execution failure isn’t just costly—it can derail products, delay critical systems, and cost companies their competitive edge. From NASA/JPL to Fortune 500 companies to venture-backed startups, Dmitri has operated at the intersection of deep technology and real-world delivery across domains including automotive, medtech, sensors, and advanced materials. And across all of these environments, he kept seeing the same pattern: Teams that look productive on paper—but quietly drift off course week after week. Plans are made. Status updates are shared. Progress appears to be happening. But underneath it all, the gap between what’s said and what actually gets done continues to widen. Instead of accepting this as the norm, Dmitri began tracking that gap. What started as a simple weekly habit—recording what was planned, what actually happened, and what comes next—evolved into a lightweight system he now calls the “Say-Do Gap,” and a tool he describes as a “Project Reality Ledger.” In this session, Dr. Kossakovski will break down the methodology behind the Say-Do approach, explain why simple tracking habits often outperform complex project management systems, and share what he learned building a product on nights and weekends while leading high-stakes R&D organizations. This is not a talk about theory—it’s a practical framework for anyone who wants to execute more effectively in the real world. Whether you’re leading a team, building a company, or simply trying to execute more effectively in your own work, you’ll walk away with a practical approach you can apply immediately. *** About the Speaker Dr. Dmitri Kossakovski works at the intersection of deep technology and strategic business development, with over 20 years of experience spanning R&D leadership, technology partnerships, licensing, and M&A. He holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from Caltech and an MS in Applied Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, along with an Executive MBA from the Drucker School. His career spans NASA/JPL, Fortune 500 companies, and venture-backed startups across domains including semiconductor materials, advanced coatings, thermal systems, sensors, and medical devices. On the business side, he has negotiated more than 25 transactions—including licensing agreements, research partnerships, and M&A—with organizations such as MIT, KAIST, Kyocera, Infineon, the DOE, and DARPA. He co-founded Pacific Scanning Corp (acquired by Agilent Technologies) and was part of the leadership team behind a successful exit at iGlass Technology. He currently contributes to strategic investment initiatives in medical innovation and serves on the boards of multiple startups. He is the author of 30+ U.S. patents.