Is America Losing Its Edge in Software Innovation?
A Personal Perspective on Skills, Opportunity, and the Future of Work
In the early 1980s, my career began on the assembly line of a bustling American manufacturing plant, producing printed circuit boards right here in the U.S. Back then, manufacturing was the foundation of the American middle class, offering stable, well-paying jobs to people like me who were ready to work hard and learn on the job.
But as time went on, I witnessed firsthand the slow and steady shift of manufacturing overseas. What started as a strategic pivot to cut costs turned into a wave of layoffs and closures that devastated entire communities. Eventually, I too was laid off.
That experience wasn’t just a professional detour. It was a defining moment that shattered my assumptions about career security, and planted the seed of awareness about how disruptive innovation can be. It also sparked the development of something I would come to rely on again and again: grit. Grit to navigate uncertainty. Tenacity to rebuild. And a mindset shift that transformed the way I approached every decision moving forward.
From Disruption to Determination
I didn’t return to school. I didn’t follow the conventional path. Instead, I chose to build a new one, fueled by curiosity, courage, and a drive to understand how to adapt to an evolving world of work. That path led me to earn industry certifications, become an educator, and ultimately launch organizations that would help others navigate disruption, build resilience, and chart their own futures.
By the early 2000s, I began to notice something familiar: this time, it wasn’t circuit boards being outsourced, it was software development. Once again, companies were shifting overseas, hiring developers in countries like India, Poland, and China where talent was abundant and labor costs lower. It felt like déjà vu.
In 2013, I founded a nonprofit dedicated to closing the technology skills gap. I wanted to help people, especially those overlooked by traditional education systems, build meaningful careers in tech. Today, that mission has evolved into leading multiple organizations focused on workforce development, business automation, AI education, and leadership development for the modern economy.
The New Face of Outsourcing
As the founder of a tech education company, I now see the same tensions from both sides. On one hand, we’re training developers here in the U.S. and empowering career changers to enter the industry. On the other, we’re increasingly forced, like many American companies, to outsource some development work overseas.
Not because we want to. But because the economics of talent are pushing us to.
Here's what we’re up against:
The cost and availability of global tech talent is reshaping the software industry, just as it did with manufacturing. If we don’t respond with urgency and strategy, we risk losing not just jobs, but our edge in innovation.
What I’ve Learned About Building a Career That Lasts
If I’ve learned anything in my journey from the factory floor to the C-suite, it’s that careers aren’t built by accident. They’re built by mindset. By choosing to learn when others retreat. By embracing change rather than fearing it. And by developing resilience, not as a buzzword, but as a life skill.
That’s why everything we teach through Nebula Academy and We Connect The Dots is grounded in three essential components:
Skills that match the market – We train students in full stack web development, business automation using tools like Microsoft PowerApps and Power Automate, Python for data visualization, and AI integration.
Psychological resilience – We embed behavioral neuroscience into our programs, helping learners understand how emotions, learning, and performance are linked, and how to manage triggers that block progress.
Career pathways without barriers – We focus especially on those without college degrees, creating multiple on-ramps into sustainable, high-demand careers in tech.
Because the truth is, the greatest threat to American innovation isn’t outsourcing. It’s inaction. And the greatest opportunity we have is right in front of us: to invest in our people, elevate lifelong learning, and redefine what career success looks like in a modern, global economy.
The Case for Urgency: What’s at Stake
The long-term risks are real. If we continue down this path, we risk:
A shrinking base of high-paying tech jobs in the U.S.
Reduced global competitiveness in software and digital services
Growing inequality for those without access to evolving career skills
But there’s another side to the story, one filled with hope.
When we equip people with the right tools and mindset, we don’t just prepare them to survive, we empower them to thrive. I've seen it happen with students who never thought they could code but now work as developers. With career changers who were laid off and now lead automation projects. With individuals who thought they were too late, too old, or too behind, and proved themselves wrong.
A Call to Action—for Leaders Across Sectors
We can't afford to wait for the system to catch up. We need to build new systems, new partnerships, and new models for upskilling in the modern economy.
If you’re an educator, bring career-connected learning into your classrooms. If you’re an employer, invest in real-world upskilling for your teams. If you’re a policymaker, support programs that reduce the barriers to entry in tech careers. If you’re a funder or investor, back scalable workforce solutions that move fast enough to meet the moment.
The American Edge Is Still Ours to Shape
My journey, from losing a job on a manufacturing line to leading innovation in workforce education, has been anything but conventional. But it's proof that people can rise when given a chance. That careers can be redefined. That the American edge isn’t just a product of innovation, it’s a product of mindset, opportunity, and resilience.
Let’s not lose our edge. Let’s build it, together.
Learn More
Want to explore how our team can support your organization in building a psychologically safe and high-performing work environment?
👉 Visit our website: http://nebulaacademy.com
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