Tech entrepreneur Sahil Lavingia just pulled back the curtain on his whirlwind stint at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and spoiler alert: it’s not the Silicon Valley dream you’d expect.

After a brief 53-day rollercoaster ride working for Elon Musk’s controversial government initiative, Lavingia found himself unceremoniously booted from his position at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Why? Allegedly for chatting with a journalist about his experiences.

The Insider’s Scoop

Lavingia’s journey began with a mix of curiosity and civic duty. Despite skepticism from friends and family who saw it as working for a Trump-adjacent project, he believed in the potential to make government systems more efficient.

Behind the Bureaucratic Curtain

What he discovered was a culture of caution and uncertainty. DOGE employees were reportedly terrified of making waves, with Lavingia noting that people would stop working when he walked into a room. The organization seemed more like a nebulous experiment than a structured government initiative.

The Silver Lining

Despite the chaos, Lavingia managed to modernize the VA’s internal chatbot, potentially impacting 473,000 employees. His plan? Open-source the technology and continue improving government tech infrastructure.

In true startup spirit, Lavingia remains optimistic. “America is much larger than Elon,” he stated, highlighting the resilience of democratic institutions beyond billionaire tech interventions.

Remember, sometimes the most interesting stories come from the most unexpected places – even within the labyrinthine world of government tech.