Veteran Resource Locator
A nationwide directory of vetted veteran services, built in 12 weeks for a state VA office.
Next.js · Postgres · MapboxREAD AAR
OPERATIONS BRIEF · 26-04 / SOFTWARE FACTORYCLASSIFICATION: PUBLICEFFECTIVE 01 MAY 2026
MISSION
Train transitioning service members in software engineering by deploying them on real client work, supervised by veteran staff engineers. Ship production software. Reinvest 100% of project margin into the program.
- UNIT
- VWC SOFTWARE FACTORY
- ESTABLISHED
- 2016 · FACTORY 2022
- CO
- JEROME HARDAWAY · USAF
- STATUS
- BOOKING Q3 2026
- POSTURE
- 2 SQUADS AVAILABLE
We ship
production
code.
A veteran-led engineering team for hire, embedded inside a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Hire us for the work; fund the mission as a side effect.
SECTION 02 / CAPABILITIES
What we deploy.
8 capability areas · led by staff engineers
01
Web App Development
Production-grade React, Next.js, TypeScript. Greenfield products through platform rebuilds.
T+0 · DEPLOYABLE
02
API & Backend Systems
Node, Python, Go services. Postgres, queues, auth, billing — the unglamorous spine that holds up.
T+0 · DEPLOYABLE
03
AI / ML Integration
RAG, agents, model orchestration. We separate what AI can ship today from the demo-ware.
T+14 · DEPLOYABLE
04
UX / UI Design
Research, IA, design systems, pixel-precise interfaces. Design that respects the user's time.
T+0 · DEPLOYABLE
05
DevOps & Cloud
AWS, GCP, Vercel. CI/CD, observability, IaC. We hand back ops you can actually run.
T+7 · DEPLOYABLE
06
Discovery Sprints
Two-week scoping engagements. Walk away with a prototype, a roadmap, and a fixed-bid proposal.
T+0 · DEPLOYABLE
07
Code Audits
Independent review of architecture, security, and team practices. Findings ranked by what to do Monday.
T+30 · DEPLOYABLE
08
Engineering Squads
3–5 person veteran teams embedded in your product org for a defined mission. T+30 to first PR.
T+30 · DEPLOYABLE
SECTION 03 / OPERATIONS CADENCE
Recon · Plan · Build · Hand off.
We borrowed our cadence from the Army. Demo every Friday, async daily SITREP, code in your repo on day one. No surprises, no scope-creep theater, no two-month silence.
Phase 01
Recon
Discovery call, then a paid two-week sprint. We walk your problem space, talk to your users, produce a working prototype with a fixed-bid scope.
2 weeks · fixed bid
Phase 02
Plan
Architecture decisions, milestones, and the "definition of done" — written down before any code. You see the whole map; nothing is held back.
1 week · async
Phase 03
Build
Two-week sprints, demo every Friday, async daily SITREP in your Slack. Code lives in your repo from day one. Pull requests, not handovers.
sprints · 2 weeks each
Phase 04
Hand Off
Documentation, runbooks, and a 30-day warranty. We can stay on retainer or train your team to take it from here. Your call.
30 days · warranty
Deliverables
Per Engagement
SCOPE.md
Fixed-bid scope statement
ARCH.png
System architecture diagram
BACKLOG.csv
Sprint-ready backlog
RUNBOOK.md
Hand-off runbook
SECTION 04 / SELECTED ENGAGEMENTS
What we’ve shipped.
Live URLs and full case studies on request. Most of our work sits behind NDAs; public examples below give you the shape of what we ship.
Cohort Management Platform
Application, interview scheduling, and curriculum tracking for a workforce-development partner.
Remix · Prisma · AWSREAD AAR
AI-Assisted Resume Translator
Turns military OERs into civilian resumes. Open-sourced after launch — used by 11k vets.
Next.js · OpenAI · VercelREAD AAR
HashFlag VS Code Theme
Distributed via the official Marketplace. 40k+ installs across the developer community.
TypeScript · VS Code APIREAD AAR
SECTION 05 / SPONSOR TRACK
Don’t need software?
Sponsor a cohort.
Foundations and corporate giving programs can fund a Factory cohort directly. The grant pays the salaries of transitioning service members for a 16-week paid apprenticeship — and produces an open-source deliverable in your name.
PLATOON
$60k
Funds 1 cohort engineer for 16 weeks. Logo on the project repo and case study.
COMPANY
$240k
Funds 4 cohort engineers + 1 staff lead. Project shaped to your mission area.
BATTALION
$1M+
Funds an entire 16-week cohort + open-source platform deliverable in your name.
CUSTOM
TBD
Multi-year giving plans, employer matching, or directed giving for specific cohorts.
SECTION 06 / LEADERSHIP
The chain of command.
Every engagement is led by a full-time veteran staff engineer. No surprise resumes, no offshore subcontracting, no junior-only teams.
Jerome Hardaway
Founder · CO
USAF · 2003–2010
Frontend · Engineering Mgmt
Frontend · Engineering Mgmt
Engineer 02
Staff Engineer
USMC · 2008–2014
Backend · Infra
Backend · Infra
Engineer 03
Design Lead
US Army · 2010–2018
UX · Design Systems
UX · Design Systems
Engineer 04
Staff Engineer
USN · 2012–2020
AI/ML · Data
AI/ML · Data
SECTION 07 / WHY US
The four-line standard.
01
Vetted Veteran Engineers
Every contributor is a US veteran. Staff are full-time; cohort grads contribute under their lead.
02
Mission-First Discipline
Cadence borrowed from the Army. Daily SITREP, weekly demo, scope locked in writing.
03
Every Dollar Trains a Vet
501(c)(3) status. Project margin funds the next cohort. Your invoice is also a charitable line item.
04
US-Based · Full-Time
No offshoring, no surprise subcontracting. Our team is in your timezone, on our payroll.
1,800+
Veterans trained since 2016
$0
Tuition charged to any veteran, ever
92%
Job-placement rate within 6 months
100%
Of project margin reinvested in the program
SECTION 08 / FROM THE FIELD
They shipped what three previous vendors couldn't. The veteran-led team brings an operations cadence we weren't getting anywhere else.
Funding the Software Factory was the highest-leverage line item in our annual giving. We got a working product and our donation paid the salaries of vets who built it.
SECTION 09 / CONTACT
30 minutes.
No deck. No pitch.
Tell us what you’re trying to build. We’ll listen, ask hard questions, and tell you whether we’re the right team — straight up. If we’re not, we’ll tell you who is.
- · Currently booking Q3 2026
- · 2 squads available
- · Average response time: 1 business day
- · Or email: factory@vetswhocode.io