Go Tech Young Vet

“Well what the hell are we supposed to do now?” Over the past few years, many of the 2.8 million post 9–11 veterans, including myself, have been asking this question.

We’re living through a tumultuous time in history. Watching the news can be debilitating… and exhilarating. Post 9–11 veterans are witnessing Iraq crumbling into civil war and chaos… yet at home 22 veterans just won congressional and senate seats. There is change stirring, and our veteran population is ambitious for the next challenge. The military and government have had an incredibly challenging time of providing veterans with a strategic path, or inspiration for, “what to do now.” But it’s becoming more apparent that the best answers for veterans may not come from the military. In the past few years, large corporations such Wells Fargo, Home Depot, Microsoft, and most recently, Starbucks recognize the skills and experience today’s veterans bring to their bottom line.

Veterans volunteered for the military out of a willingness to work hard and risk our own personal livelihood’s for our country. Now, there are startups and technology companies springing up across our country who need idealistic risk takers.

The word technology causes some people’s eyes to glaze over. But what if we define the word the way it was original intended? Technology is any tools or systems we create that does more with less. A chair or a book is technology, so are the systems behind how we buy our coffee, the tablets we use- they’re all technology.

Looking at the data and numbers behind companies that produce technology, we can see the true virtue of the pursuit. Virtue? Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? In fact, it might be an understatement.

The net job creation in America over the past three decades stands at 40 million. The class of business responsible for 100% of those jobs are startups. Any company that starts up, survives, and creates jobs is by definition a technology company. Survival in our global economy means that every company now must create, or acquire new technology- ways, processes and products to do more with less.

Venture capitalists and angel investors already know this. They hunger for chances to invest and risk money behind those building technology. These are the risk alchemists that fund the technology behind products and services we all enjoy. It’s why you can walk into a Starbucks, and purchase any type of coffee and have it customized to your liking. It’s why and how Amazon delivers a Kindle Voyage to us in two days that has access to more books than your local library.

So how exactly are these technology creators worthy of the words, “alchemists” or “virtuous”? Aside from the fact that they’re creating jobs, they create wealth.

Each year venture capital investments into startups account for .2% of US GDP. That minuscule yearly investment sparks 21% of our national GDP, or $3.57 trillion. The 12 largest technology companies in the US are now responsible for over $2 trillion in yearly revenues. They were all venture capital backed.

This industry of value alchemy requires a steady stream of skilled leaders who can endure risk and uncertainty. Veterans have the experiences necessary to create technology: quickly learn new skills, and endure uncertainty. They are also, according to the Small Business Administration, 45 percent more likely to be self-employed (entrepreneurial) than non-veterans.

APX Labs is just one example of a startup turned technology business. The company creates wearable heads up displays apps, or as they call it, smart glass for enterprise. APX Lab co-founder is Craig Cummings, an Army veteran. He is a serial entrepreneur, his last startup, Ride Scout, a transportation app for cell phones was recently acquired by Moovel, a subsidiary of Daimler.

There are many other stories of Veterans starting companies, and I’m excited to see more over the years. But the safest and quickest path into building and creating technology is through Bootcamps.

These aren’t the military kind, these are three month long training programs were students learn skills in high demand at growing (often venture backed) startups. Within months students learn to: code, design, or technical business and marketing. The best Bootcamps place students into critical roles at growing startups.

There are more than 250,000 service members transitioning from the military each year. I firmly believe that over the coming years, we’ll see a flood of success stories from veterans who choose themselves and break into startups and technology. Veterans need a new challenge worthy of our skills, abilities, and our character. The technology industry is here and waiting. They need those who can learn on the fly, who understand leadership, risk, skin in the game, and who are hungry to rebuild America. Go tech young vet!

For more strategic answers to the, “what now?” question, check out my new book called, Veterans: Rebuild America.

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