This is kind of cool. Billionaire Mark Cuban read about the latest government tech shake-up on Saturday, and offered support on Bluesky for newly laid-off federal IT experts whose job it was to make government tech work better. Via TechCrunch:
His message, which quickly gained traction, urged the displaced engineers and designers to turn the upheaval to their advantage.
“If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company,” wrote Cuban. “It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably created. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help.”
Cuban’s offer came after the government’s General Services Administration (GSA) abruptly gutted its 18F technology unit, which helps other government agencies build, buy, and share tech products. Per Politico, the layoffs affected roughly 70 individuals who learned the news around 1 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. Among other things, the unit had reportedly built Login.gov, a secure and private way for the public to access services at government agencies, including Social Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The group itself has since described its members as “non-partisan civil servants,” posting a statement that “18F has worked on hundreds of projects, all designed to make government technology not just efficient but effective, and to save money for American taxpayers.”
