From Combat to Coding: Ben Ford and Mission Ctrl

Little Big Vets

Nick Haley chats with Ben Ford, a former marine who has successfully transitioned from active service to the tech industry. Ben shares his personal story, from enlisting at the age of 23 after dropping out of an engineering degree, to teaching himself the programming language Python on a warship enroute to Iraq, navigating various tech roles post-service and ultimately co-founding the company Mission Ctrl.

Ben talks about how his military career was fundamental to providing him with the strong foundations and skills (learnt through rigorous training and discipline) which he would later apply in his transition into technology, web programming and entrepreneurship.

In this episode, your three important takeaways are:

1. Transferable Skillsets: Problem-solving, discipline and resilience are key transferable skills that can be applied to all aspects of your life. Ben’s story highlights how military service was critical in developing these skills, which he later found vital in his tech career.

2. Self-Drive = Success: Veterans possess an innate self-drive which keeps them moving forward. Ben’s journey underscores the power of continuous learning and development. By diversifying his skillset through teaching himself programming and navigating various roles, he set up a career path for himself leading to success.

3. Adaptability and Innovation: Ben’s ability to adapt and innovate played a significant role in his post-service career. His journey to entrepreneurship is marked by his capacity to leverage emerging tech and adapt swiftly to change, exemplifying the dynamic application of traits he honed in the military.