18F, when it started, was viewed with suspicion by other federal agencies—here were these Silicon Valley know-it-alls, coming in to tell us how to do our jobs.

18F, when it started, was viewed with suspicion by other federal agencies—here were these Silicon Valley know-it-alls, coming in to tell us how to do our jobs. So, basically DOGE. Except: 18F spent 10 years building trust in the government. As consultants, they met their clients where they were, and acted with empathy and understanding. This is pretty much the opposite of DOGE coming into an agency and seizing control. 18F’s model was geared toward continual improvement over time (“Move slowly and fix things”). It was, I think, a model with a more long term mindset than what is going on with DOGE.