How A Small Group Of Entrepreneurs Transformed Government Services

[Commentary] Presidential administrations since Roosevelt have faced varied and vexing challenges, domestic and abroad, that forced them to recognize the need to venture outside their comfortable circles of party loyalists, campaign volunteers and policy advisers to tap into the expertise of those not already working in government.

President Barack Obama started with his own White House, recruiting Internet-savvy entrepreneurs to serve as chief technology officer (me), chief performance officer (Jeff Zients), chief information officer (Vivek Kundra) and director for social innovation (Sonal Shah), among other senior positions. And he directed his Cabinet to do the same.

More than 50 other entrepreneurs would fill senior roles, reporting directly to department and agency heads, and tasked with applying technology and innovation to advance that agency’s mission. The participants brought a wide range of experience.

The entrepreneurs who joined the government brought more than their respective skill sets. Many also brought a different way of working, one with its roots in Silicon Valley and its fertile field of technology startup companies. Eric Ries, an entrepreneur, adviser and author who had moved to that area in 2001, called that philosophy and methodology “lean startup.”

[Chopra served as chief technology officer of the United States and is now founder of Hunch Analytics]