When I began developing ClearOPS, I thought the problem I wanted to solve was simple: contact management. But the more I listened to contractors, recruiters, and security officers, the more I realized this issue wasn’t just about organizing names and numbers. It was about preparation or more specifically, the complete lack of it.
Cleared professionals often operate in a strange space between security and instability. Anyone who’s worked in this space long enough knows that stability can shift quickly. Funding gets pulled. Contracts end earlier than expected. Someone else wins the recompete. Suddenly, you’re off the project and asking yourself what’s next.
When I ask people how they’d respond if that happened tomorrow, most say some version of the same thing: “I’d reach out to people I know,” or “I’ve got a good friend who can probably get me in somewhere.” It all sounds reassuring on the surface. But when I ask follow-up questions—How many positions are even open? What kind of work is being asked for? When did you last talk to them?—the answers get murky and that’s where the real gap shows up.
Some people have spreadsheets with a few names while others depend on their phone’s contact list or old emails. A few scroll endlessly through LinkedIn messages trying to remember who helped them two years ago but they’re not unconnected. They’re just disorganized. There’s no structure, no timeline, and no clear system for knowing who they can actually count on when it matters most.
When things do shift, there’s panic. People start making cold calls, asking for favors from folks they haven’t spoken to in years, and scrambling to piece together a network they never properly maintained. They’re reactive instead of ready.
That’s why ClearOPS exists. Not to be flashy or overbuilt, but to give cleared professionals a system that works. A private dashboard that helps you log who you’ve worked with, when you met, how reliable they are, and whether they’re someone you could count on again. It’s not about contacts, it’s about readiness. Knowing where your support system is before you actually need it.
This isn’t a glorified address book. It’s a tool for people who take their next step seriously. A system designed not just to store information, but to help you think ahead. In a space where contracts shift quickly and people rotate constantly, ClearOPS is meant to bring stability when the environment doesn’t.
If you’ve ever lost touch with someone who could have helped you, or found yourself guessing who might still be at that company you worked with last year, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, and so have plenty of others.
I’m developing ClearOPS for all of us who don’t want to start over every time a project ends. If this sounds like you, I’d love to hear how you’ve handled transitions and what systems have worked or failed. Your feedback is what shapes this.
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