Security Cryptography Whatever Alex Gaynor
Aug 16, 2025
Join Alex Gaynor, a core developer of Python and Django and former chief technologist at the FTC, as he dives into tech transformations in government, sharing stories from the Affordable Care Act's rollout. He covers the complexities of legal battles in tech, including Oracle v. Google, and discusses the challenges of integrating Rust into popular software. Alex also sheds light on innovative open-source funding structures and reflects on his impactful election tracking website that became a go-to during the 2020 election.
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How Alex Joined The FTC
- Alex described how a former colleague recruited him to join the FTC after his previous project finished.
- He returned to government service with prior USDS experience and jumped into the deputy chief technologist role willingly.
USDS Versus 18F Roles
- USDS focuses on rescuing in-progress projects while 18F builds new greenfield projects.
- Alex summarized the cultural difference as 18F being invited in and USDS bashing through walls to fix things.
Why Healthcare.gov Failed Initially
- Alex traced healthcare.gov failures to dozens of contractors and no load testing before launch.
- The system had never processed a test transaction and was built like a static website, not a high-traffic consumer service.