Elon Musk's resignation from the Trump administration has raised concerns about the future of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Former software engineer Sahil Lavingia expressed doubts about the agency's sustainability without Musk's influence, suggesting it could collapse like a struggling startup.
Lavingia described his experience at DOGE as disorganized, lacking clear direction and planning. He was recruited in March to modernize AI chatbots at the Department of Veterans Affairs but felt unsupported. The daily operations of DOGE were managed by Steve Davis, President of The Boring Company, while venture capitalist Baris Akis handled recruitment and logistics. Instructions were communicated through Signal, often set to auto-delete within a day, with a focus on accelerating layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Despite recommendations for transparency, such as open-sourcing code and live-streaming meetings, no such initiatives were implemented. Lavingia’s computer access was revoked after a media interview in May, effectively terminating his involvement with DOGE.
The White House has affirmed DOGE's ongoing importance despite Musk's departure. However, skepticism remains about the agency’s ability to maintain efficiency and reform progress without Musk, especially as financial savings fall short of original projections.
