Uncanny Valley | WIRED A Former DOGE Staffer Speaks Out
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Jun 27, 2025 
Vittoria Elliott, a senior writer at Wired, interviews Sahil Lavingia, the founder of Gumroad and a former staffer at Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Lavingia shares his chaotic experiences within the VA, exposing a lack of transparency and communication that hampered government efficiency. He discusses challenges faced during tech recruitment and reflects on misaligned expectations in government software initiatives. The conversation shifts to the cultural dynamics of Dogecoin and its implications amidst a turbulent political landscape.
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Sahil's Idealistic Start at Doge
- Sahil Lavingia, founder of Gumroad, joined Doge inspired by the original US Digital Service mission to improve government tech.
- He expected to ship software and make government services better for citizens, aligning with Doge’s stated goals.
VA’s Tech Strength versus Doge Measures
- The Department of Veterans Affairs is already technologically advanced and has smart staff focused on accessibility.
- Doge’s efficiency measures sometimes created more work and inefficiency instead of improving operations at the VA.
Doge’s Internal Transparency Gap
- Doge was ironically lacking internal transparency and communication despite claiming transparency as a core value.
- The organization suffered inefficiency due to fragmented teams and limited understanding of government processes.
