Temple Square sits at the heart of Salt Lake Citys downtown.
The ten-acre complex is the closest thing to the Vatican City for the Latter-Day Saint (LDS) faith.
Within its lush surroundings, it houses the worlds most prominent Mormon temple.
Mormonism is a famously proselytizing faith.
But what happens when their mission ends and they return to secular life?
The second isa 501(c) non-profit organizationthat advocates for technology companies in this area.
Outside of the state, Utah isnt especially well-known for its startup scene.
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The most well-known is arguably the Farmington-basedPluralsight, which runs a training platform designed for technology professionals.
Last yearit went public, raising $310.5 million and cementing the companys rightful place in unicorn territory.
Beyond Pluralsight, theres at least three other unicorn-level technology companies operating within the state of Utah.
The customer experience firmQualtrics, for example, was acquired by SAP in 2018for a cool $8 billion.
And a great many of these workers are returned missionaries.
The Missionary Life
Its entirely possible youve encountered a Mormon missionary before.
They might have stopped you in the street or knocked on your door.
But most of us dont actually know what the day-to-day life of a smartly dressed Mormon missionary is like.
Suffice to say, its a remarkable departure from everyday life.
When you put on your suit and name badge, you effectively relinquish your free will.
Missionaries get no choice of where they serve, nor who they serve with.
Privacy simply isnt a thing.
Six days a week, LDS missionaries perform their duties.
They are commanded to refrain from secular entertainment.
And crucially, missionaries need an unbelievably thick skin.
They routinely deal with rejection.
Sometimes this is manifested in a polite no.
Faith, after all, is perhaps the most personal thing there is.
And inevitably, many find their way into local technology companies, where they become a valuable resource.
As Pluralsight CEOAaron Skonnardexplained, much of this value derives from the experiences and skills gained during missions.
Its an incubator for those skills, because youve got to live with people youve never met before.
Youre assigned a companion who youre with 24/7 until you get changed.
And youre constantly being rotated between different companions which you have no choice or input into.
And then you go out and sell the hardest thing it is to sell, which is religion.
Religion isnt just deeply personal.
To the faithful, its the fundamental basis of how they understand the world.
As Skonnard points out, talking about this with absolute strangers requires a level of emotional intelligence.
Being a missionary requires a deep ability to relate with people.
And then theres the language factor.
Another former missionary, 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, speaks fluent French thanks to his time in Paris.
Theres also an important cultural factor.
Utahs companies are more conservative than their Californian counterparts.
VC capital is comparatively harder to obtain than in Silicon Valley, so companies must achieve profitability early.
This creates companies that are ultimately more sustainable, and based on long-term aspirations.
And maybe its Utah itself.
Salt Lake City has a low cost of living.
Its clean and safe.
The schools are good.
Its got a reliable and affordable public transport system.
If you want to start a family, you could easily afford to buy or rent a house.
The city is surrounded by gorgeous, rugged countryside.
These factors keep talent within the state, while also attracting skilled developers and entrepreneurs from other major cities.
