Vetflare: Cloudflare’s Veterans Group Takes Shape
Cloudflare’s people organization starts from a simple premise: diversity makes the company stronger. In the Q1-2020 kickoff, Head of People Janet Van Huysse framed it as the driver of better decisions, more innovation, and stronger financial returns. Veterans fit squarely into that equation, bringing a mix of backgrounds, skills, and viewpoints that a tech workforce benefits from.
For colleagues who have never served or worked closely with those who have, understanding what veterans bring to a civilian team is useful. The values and habits formed in military service map directly to how people operate in a fast-moving engineering organization.
Service, Team, and Mission
Veterans approach work with a service mindset. That means a commitment to something larger than personal gain, and it shows up in how they treat colleagues and customers. The military instills a sense of duty that does not switch off when the uniform comes off.
Teamwork is another carryover. The phrase “I’ve got your back” has real weight for someone whose military experience involved literal shared risk. Veterans often describe missing the feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves, even years after leaving service. Companies that connect individual work to a larger purpose unlock that drive. At Cloudflare, that connection is visible in the pace of product releases and in how teams rally around customer issues.
Mission focus is a natural extension. Veterans are trained to filter out what does not serve the objective. Expect pointed questions like “What problem are we trying to solve?” — not as a challenge to authority, but as an attempt to establish a clear line to the goal. That kind of clarity helps teams avoid drift.
Commitment After the Debate
The military looks hierarchical from the outside, and it is. But decision-making is often more consensus-driven than people assume. Before an order is given, alternatives get worked through with real conviction. Once the commander makes the call, though, the debate ends. Veterans know how to disagree during planning and then commit fully when the decision is made.
A familiar term for this in tech is “disagree and commit.” Veterans have been practicing it long before it got a catchy name.
Morale and Adaptability
Veterans have seen what morale does to a unit. Teams with every advantage can fail when morale sags, and underdogs can win when people are proud of what they are doing. They know the difference between grinding through low points and being part of a group that enjoys the work.
Diversity is not an abstract concept in the military — it is operational necessity. Units turn over constantly, with about one-third of personnel cycling out every year. That forces people to get good at integrating into new teams quickly and helping new arrivals get up to speed. Veterans learn fast how to identify what people offer, where the gaps are, and how to reshuffle responsibilities to maximize performance.
A Seat at the Table
For veterans eyeing a transition into tech, Cloudflare is recruiting. The company positions itself as a place where veterans can enter the civilian workforce, switch into tech, or accelerate an existing career. Supporting veterans is a separate matter from supporting any particular foreign policy — a distinction that the group’s founders are careful to make. The welcome the company extends to veterans is appreciated, especially by those carrying the burden of combat experience.
The group’s message to the wider company is mutual. Veterans thank their new colleagues for welcoming them into the culture, even as they stand ready to serve alongside them.
