Reposted by Luke Mathers
Luke Mathers
@mathers.bsky.social
452 followers 640 following 81 posts
The words we choose to talk about what’s going on around us matter. Probably grabbing another cup of coffee.
The words we choose to talk about what’s going on around us matter. Probably grabbing another cup of coffee.
![Now that he’s there, he says he finds himself surrounded by people who “love their jobs,” who came to the government with a sense of mission driving their work.
“In a sense, that makes the DOGE agenda a little bit more complicated, because if half the government took [a buyout offer], then we wouldn’t have to do much more,” he says, implying software can replace departing employees. “We’d just basically use software to plug holes. But that’s not what’s happening.”
Lavingia’s skills with automation, which have helped keep Gumroad lean, are what he hopes to bring to the VA. But when it comes down to it, what he’s found is a machine that largely functions, though it doesn’t make decisions as fast as a startup might.
“I would say the culture shock is mostly a lot of meetings, not a lot of decisions,” he says. “But honestly, it’s kind of fine—because the government works. It’s not as inefficient as I was expecting, to be honest. I was hoping for more easy wins.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:2rrp7amblhg3xoly5n5huiqv/bafkreignzunuto2j42vbchtvzg26ablavrjq7e3cq3pbcicwskvpyddlzu)
