What do you mean, really, when you say #DCTech?

Jonathan Aberman, founder of Arlington-based TandemNSI, penned an op-ed for the Capital Business section of the Washington Post yesterday. In it he poses a relatively simple question: What’s #DCTech?
Turns out, though, that this might not be a simple question at all.
Aberman reveals his interest comes from research he’s doing into “how our region can stay ahead of the curve in tech and innovation in the decades ahead.” In a quest for the holy grail-like answer to this gigantic question, he says, he’s interviewed about 100 area entrepreneurs.
Aberman’s findings in a nutshell?

• Entrepreneurs define #DCTech differently depending on their work, interests and even geographical location within the DMV area.

“All these groups are in some ways walled off from one another,” Aberman writes. “Each group describes itself as the core of D.C. Tech, and by definition excludes others.”
Aberman says he finds the divergence in thinking “concerning,” and muses that D.C.’s entrepreneurial side could be stronger as a united front.
It’s an interesting piece and one that touches on a lot of questions we at Technical.ly have often considered. For example — the District-based startup scene is fairly young, yes, but innovation in certain verticals like cybersecurity goes back decades in Northern Virginia. What could the new companies learn from the successes (and also failures) of the more established businesses?
Go read Aberman’s full piece here and ask yourself: What do I mean, really, when I reference #DCTech? We’d love to hear your answer — comment below or @ us on Twitter.