Palantir is the exception, not the rule. Most software built within governments, (I work on the finance side of tech projects for the city of New York) are basi

Palantir is the exception, not the rule. Most software built within governments, (I work on the finance side of tech projects for the city of New York) are basic crud apps that have to integrate with very old data systems. Most developers are "consultants" that are treated as code monkeys because managers have absolutely no idea about building software - for example, there was a CIO who didn't know what a stored procedure was and didn't understand why they exist after a developer spent time explaining what one was. There are smart developers working on projects, but they are typically not given the freedom to be creative. EDIT: relevant essay by PG http://www.paulgraham.com/icad.html http://www.paulgraham.com/icad.html