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.
02
API & Backend Systems
Node, Python, Go services. Postgres, queues, auth, billing — the unglamorous spine that holds up.
03
AI / ML Integration
RAG, agents, model orchestration. We separate what AI can ship today from the demo-ware.
04
UX / UI Design
Research, IA, design systems, pixel-precise interfaces. Design that respects the user's time.
05
DevOps & Cloud
AWS, GCP, Vercel. CI/CD, observability, IaC. We hand back ops you can actually run.
06
Discovery Sprints
Two-week scoping engagements. Walk away with a prototype, a roadmap, and a fixed-bid proposal.
07
Code Audits
Independent review of architecture, security, and team practices. Findings ranked by what to do Monday.
08
Engineering Squads
3–5 person veteran teams embedded in your product org for a defined mission. T+30 to first PR.
SECTION 03 / OPERATIONS CADENCE
Recon · Plan · Build · Hand off.
We borrowed our cadence from the Military. 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