In this episode, Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Dave Kasten, to discuss their experiences building VaccinateCA, a charitable effort that collected, collated, and distributed vaccine distribution information during the COVID-19 pandemic. (If you Googled for the vaccine, the search results likely came from VaccinateCA’s data.) They cover the challenges of rapidly scaling a volunteer-driven organization, the lessons learned about public health infrastructure, the intricacies of interfacing with government bureaucracy, and reasons to be cautiously optimistic about tech/government collaboration.
Expanding on a theme from recent episodes (see: Casey Handmer), Dave and Patrick cover the stark differences between government and tech sector’s approach to problem-solving. They offer insights into the often-misunderstood world of government operations, the individuals who make it function, and the "scar tissue" of regulations that can both protect and hinder progress.
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Full transcript available here: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/episodes/tech-government-dave-kasten/
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Links:
The Story of VaccinateCA, Works in Progress https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-story-of-vaccinateca/
https://davekasten.substack.com/
https://www.bitsaboutmoney.com/
Complex Systems episode ft. Kelsey Piper (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/33rHTZVowaq76tCTaKJfRB
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Twitter:
@patio11
@David_Kasten
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:23) Dave Kasten’s unique career path
(01:37) The beginning of VaccinateCA
(03:09) Early challenges and volunteer efforts
(07:24) Volunteer coordination and call center operations
(10:55) Navigating policies and procedures
(14:33) Navigating policies and prioritization
(21:00) Adapting to volunteer feedback
(22:50) Sponsors: WorkOS | Check
(25:07) Public reception and media involvement
(35:40) Government and institutional responses
(45:59) Differences between tech and government approaches
(47:52) Challenges in pandemic information dissemination
(49:10) Accuracy and information systems
(53:43) Government and agile development
(56:51) Bureaucratic constraints and historical practices
(01:08:55) Government workforce and technological challenges
(01:22:34) The importance of policy engagement
(01:33:42) Wrap
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Complex Systems is part of the Turpentine podcast network.
