When I was training to become a doctor at the LAC+USC Medical Center, in the early 2000s, political debate was discouraged.
We had a professional obligation to treat drunk drivers and thieves on the 13th floor jail ward. Any opinions regarding criminal justice policy should be left for the appropriate venues.
This is not a unique aspect of medicine. We are all better off if lawyers, soldiers, and other public servants place their duty to society above individual opinions.
Many technology companies aspire to fulfill similar critical roles in society. However, few people have learned how to separate professional responsibility from personal opinion. As the founder of a tech company serving a variety of organizations, from amateur sports to professional sports, occupational healthcare, and a growing list of military commands, I've seen this firsthand.
Many founders don't explore DOD opportunities as they don't want to be perceived as being in the war business.
A few of my colleagues wondered if serving in the military was compatible with the mission to make the world a better place during the previous presidential administration. This stigma against military work has caused some of Silicon Valley's largest companies to lose their jobs. It can lead to contract cancellations, non-renewal promises, and a chilling effect on work that involves the United States military.
Although partnerships between technology companies, the military and other organizations are not new, they have rarely attracted so much controversy. These partnerships were the norm in the 20th century and produced war-winning technologies such as microwave radar, GPS, and ARPANET, which are the building blocks for our connected world.
In Silicon Valley, military contracts are seen as a win-win situation for both the nation's military superiority and the company's bottom line. Moonshot projects that were backed by federal financial resources provided some of the best workarounds available to product-minded technologists.
This relationship has been shaken up over the years by employees at Microsoft, Google, and Amazon seeking to distance themselves all federal projects because of the revulsion caused by the policies of the previous administrations. With new leadership in Washington, tech workers and companies need to decide if the stigma against military service will be permanent or confined to a single chapter of an evolving relationship.
One misconception from the past administration that is important to correct before we look forward is the tension between military personnel and employees. Recent research has challenged the idea that tech workers are all anti-military.
Georgetown University's Center for Security and Emerging Technology conducted a survey between late 2019 and early 2020. It found that less than 25% of AI professionals see Pentagon work negatively, while 78% view it as a positive or neutral.
Companies who are open to exploring opportunities with the Department of Defense need to consider the many advantages and differences between government and commercial clients.
Federal contracts have a reputation for high dollar amounts, long performance periods and low profit margins. This is a great advantage for VC-backed businesses that are valued based upon revenue. The unique structure of government contracts provides a welcome complement the highly volatile, but lucrative, work in B2B or B2C markets. Combining these extremes creates a stronger whole, similar to mutual funds that balance bonds and stocks.
Many founders don't want to be perceived as being in the war business and fail to explore DOD options. Sparta Science was a victim to this. Our work supporting federal employees was conflated with full support for all government policies.
Reality is more complex. The annual budget for the DOD is more than half a billion dollars, with a workforce of 2.8million. Only a small percentage of these people are involved in warfighting. They rely on a large number of administrators and knowledge professionals to complete each mission.
At any one time, the DOD has around 1.3 million active contracts. These contracts cover a variety of fields such as software licensing, healthcare, apparel, logistics, and even apparel. The United States military is rightly called a cross-sectional force. Supporting those who serve in the military is good business practice, a Silicon Valley tradition, and the right thing.
