An anecdotal insight into three entrepreneurs meeting at a compulsory shooting exercise mandated by the Swiss active reserve system

In Switzerland, my home country, we still maintain an active reserve military system. Under this scheme, I’ve been an active reserve officer for more than 20 years.

I am a big advocate of our active reserve system, although it has a few challenges besides the benefits.

Often misunderstood in an international context, our active reserve system is best explained by anecdotal evidence rather than business-like pros and cons.

Phase 1: The Shooting Exercise

Active reserve duty in Switzerland comes with the obligation to attend at least one shooting exercise every year. Yes, we’re the folk who keep their army guns at home.

A shooting exercise is a surprisingly simple happening over here. You load your army gun into your car, drive to the shooting range, and do the shooting exercise. The ammunition is provided at the shooting range, and that’s also where you get your attestation that you completed your annual compulsory shooting training.

No passport controls, no bullet-proof vests, no camouflage. Just a few guys in civilian clothes with… army guns.

Phase 2: The Network

If you’re not into shooting and you just want to do the compulsory part, it’s perfectly fine to collect your attestation after the shooting exercise and leave.

However, that’s not what most people do. Most people enjoy the company at shooting exercises. There are broadly two social modus operandi for a shooting exercise: Either do the compulsory shooting exercise with your colleagues or friends after work and go for a beer together afterward. Or you are a member of a shooting club or an officers’ association and attend one of the shooting exercises they regularly organize. And of course, those clubs and associations also stay for a social gathering after the shooting.

Phase 3: The IT Discussion

That’s exactly what I did last weekend. I went for a shooting exercise with my local officers’ association somewhere in rural Switzerland.

After the exercise ended shortly before noon, we all sat together, having brunch and talking about life, the universe, and everything.

And by coincidence, I sat next to two other tech entrepreneurs. Yes, somewhere in the hills of rural Switzerland. Our guns neatly stacked behind the table, we discussed IT architecture, cyber security, and the pros and cons of agile development.

That’s the beauty of the active reserve system. Some people meet randomly because of an obligation to participate in regular shooting exercises and end up discussing entrepreneurial topics. So I didn’t leave the shooting exercise with just my obligations met, but also with new inputs for my business and a few new acquaintances.

This is the place I call home.