A Path Forward for the Digital Economy

America is at a pivotal moment. As we saw in this past election cycle, there’s no shortage of important issues that we will have to contend with over the next several years — issues as wide-ranging as equality and social justice, infrastructure and healthcare, maintaining national security amidst global conflict and dealing with climate change. We heard varying solutions to these complex problems (and many others) throughout the campaign, and no matter what our differences may be, these will be fundamental topics for the country to deal with thoughtfully over the coming years.

Where there was little disagreement throughout the election, however, was a shared commitment to ensuring America remains the most innovative country in the world and excels as a leader in the global economy. As we transition from being an industrial-oriented economy (based on things) to a digital one (based on things and services), we find ourselves at a critical juncture that will shape our success or failure for decades to come.

Today, America is at the forefront of many industries like tech, life sciences, transportation, media, banking, retail, and more. Yet, we can’t take this leadership for granted. As each of these industries continues to modernize in the 21st century, we will need to dramatically transform our organizations and government to stay ahead. And in the process, we’ll see the creation of millions of new jobs and roles that we could have never imagined, with many existing ones being impacted in turn.

To successfully navigate these choppy waters — and importantly, to bring everyone along for the ride — we will need smart policy decisions and collaboration between the private and public sectors more than ever.

This is why I’m excited to be joining TechNet, a bi-partisan policy group founded nearly two decades ago by John Chambers and John Doerr, whose mission is to bridge the tech industry with lawmakers and the government throughout the country. The issues that today seem only relevant to Silicon Valley will soon be challenges for organizations and firms in every industry, whether it’s car companies tackling self-driving vehicles or life sciences players moving into personalized medicine.

And while there are many critical challenges facing the country that go well beyond tech, there are substantial issues related to innovation that I believe will have an outsize impact on our country’s competitiveness for decades to come. Just to name a few:

1. STEM Education: Beyond wholesale improvements to our education system (to make all education higher quality and more affordable), we must dramatically expand our investment in bringing STEM education to every school in the country to support our future jobs and opportunity.
2. Encryption: As we rely more and more on digital tools for our personal lives and businesses, we must ensure that our technology remains robust and our security is never compromised, thus ensuring the conditions for privacy and continued innovation.
3. Future of Jobs: As jobs continue to be transformed (Taxi driver to Uber driver), we’ll need broad public and private partnerships to support retraining workers for new roles, creating the appropriate safety nets for those impacted, and more.
4. Modernizing Regulation: As every industry is reinvented through advancements in tech (from transportation to banking), regulations that haven’t been adjusted in decades must modernize as well, fostering growth and competitiveness and without sacrificing consumer protection.
5. Immigration: Given the amount of amazing talent we’ll need to succeed as a country, we must find a way to have thoughtful immigration policy that allows the best talent in the world — especially those that have been educated here — to help advance our interests.
6. Social Issues: Given that tech companies succeed by aligning the motivations and talent of people with different backgrounds, we’ll need to ensure that we never reduce rights for anyone among us, or offer policies that divide us and work against the goal of diversity and inclusion of all.

Looking ahead, maintaining our leadership is going to require making smart policy choices, cultivating partnerships between the public and private sector, and fostering a culture of entrepreneurship.

Most of all, it’s going to take all of us to stay engaged and active in the debate and conversation. The issues that matter don’t disappear after the election. And while we won’t always agree on the exact path forward for America, as everyone in tech knows, if you’re sitting still, you’re losing ground.

-Aaron