Billionaire investor Mark Cuban waded into the newest authorities tech shake-up on Saturday, providing assist on the social community Bluesky for newly laid-off federal employees whose job it was to make authorities tech work higher.
His message, which shortly gained traction, urged the displaced engineers and designers to show the upheaval to their benefit.
“If you happen to labored for 18F and acquired fired, Group collectively to start out a consulting firm,” wrote Cuban. “It’s only a matter of time earlier than DOGE wants you to repair the mess they inevitably created. They should rent your organization as a contractor to repair it. However in your phrases. I’m completely happy to take a position and/or assist.”
Cuban’s provide got here after the federal government’s Common Companies Administration (GSA) abruptly gutted its 18F know-how unit, which helps different authorities companies construct, purchase, and share tech merchandise. Per Politico, the layoffs affected roughly 70 people who realized the information round 1 a.m. Japanese time on Saturday. Amongst different issues, the unit had reportedly constructed Login.gov, a safe and personal means for the general public to entry companies at authorities companies, together with Social Safety and the Division of Veterans Affairs.
The group itself has since described its members as “non-partisan civil servants,” posting an announcement that “18F has labored on a whole bunch of initiatives, all designed to make authorities know-how not simply environment friendly however efficient, and to save cash for American taxpayers.”
The early-morning layoffs tie to a Trump administration directive to shrink the federal workforce and slash spending on the behest of Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE). The cuts weren’t a primary for 18F; in line with Politico, two dozen extra 18F staff had been laid off in February when GSA lower probationary staffers.
These impacted within the wee hours of Saturday morning additionally acquired emails late Friday from DOGE with the topic line, “What did you do final week? Half II.”
In line with Politico, the emails — prompting staff to listing their weekly accomplishments by Monday — had been extensively distributed throughout a number of companies, together with the State Division, the IRS, and the NIH.
Within the wake of those new layoffs, Cuban’s proposal presents an intriguing risk: might the very employees pushed out of presidency assist reshape the way forward for civic tech on their very own phrases? As DOGE strikes to dismantle companies, even Musk has acknowledged fallout tied to the pace with which his group is shifting. On Wednesday, Musk shared that, “For instance, with USAID, one of many issues we by accident canceled — very briefly — was Ebola prevention.” (Public well being specialists have since stated the federal government’s assist has not been absolutely restored.)
The query now could be whether or not some share of the federal government’s rising variety of displaced former staff will seize the second, banding collectively to construct the startups that would sooner or later promote their experience again to the federal government. If that’s the case, it could signify a hanging twist within the administration’s efforts to shrink the general public workforce.
If Cuban has his means, not less than one such unit, 18F, could discover itself inside a non-public firm the federal government has no selection however to depend on. Certainly, that assertion offered by the group yesterday says they’re “nonetheless absorbing what has occurred” however that they “aren’t achieved but.”
One other Bluesky person even has a branding concept for the startup, telling Cuban on Saturday, “Title the brand new firm 18FU.”
