When you think of a startup, you probably think of a group of tech entrepreneurs working out of Silicon Valley to create the next grocery delivery app. You probably don't think of a group of former employees from Twitter, Facebook, Google, and Amazon working out of Washington D.C. to create tech solutions for veterans, the disabled, and immigrants; nonetheless, that is exactly what type of startup The U.S. Digital Service is. It is the government's first tech startup.
The phrases "startup" and "government" sound odd together, mainly because history has shown that presidents are elected separately from CEOs. The thought may seem even odder when considering the influence that innovation in business and technology have on the United Stated economy, culture, and quality of life.
In a Ted Talk given by the co-founder of The U.S. Digital Service, Haley Van Dyck, she explains why this is a necessary solution to many of the problems faced in the United States. In her talk, she points out that a single mother on food stamps has to use a run-down, slow website to order food-stamps, while she, Van Dyck, is able to get on her iPhone and order a gluten-free meal to her door. Van Dyck explains that technology has become a luxury for most Americans, but it has not yet made its way to those who rely on government services.
To date, The U.S. Digital Service has used engineering and product development to tackle technical issues dealing with student loans, human trafficking, immigration, and health insurance. Though, this is is only the beginning of a much larger vision: making the government work better.
"We don't care about politics," Van Dyke says. "We care about making government work better, because it's the only one we've got."
When you go to the website for U.S. Digital Service, you will be greeted by a video that explains the mission and description of The United States Digital Services. Megan Smith, U.S. Chief Technology Officer explains it as, “The United States digital services is where the Americans who have tech skills come into government and help us do what we need to do from D.C. and across this country.”
So what does this mean for America? This is an indication of where the government and startups alike, are heading: in the direction of solving the world’s largest problems.
The "bottom line" in business, historically, means the financial profit made, and this has been the yardstick for measuring success in the past. Today, that is changing, and we are finally able to see the benefits of this change. Today more and more startups are focusing on the triple bottom line: People, Planet, and Profit. In other words, success is now being measured financially, socially, and environmentally.
What does it mean that businesses are now focusing on the triple bottom line? It means that we will continue to see innovative solutions to large problems and that we must start viewing these problems differently, and thinking of solutions through the eyes of collaboration. The U.S. Digital Service proves that effectiveness and efficiency occur when the public sector meets the private sector; when D.C. meets Silicon Valley.
Our country is full of brilliant people and remarkable resources; likewise, our country and world-at-large are full of problems that threaten the three 'P's in the triple bottom line. The only way to solve these problems are with innovation, efficiency, and most importantly, a willingness to come together to fight the world's largest problems. As we can see from The U.S. Digital Service, this is possible.
“I know technology, this is how I’ll serve my country.” – Kathy Pham, Health Data Expert, U.S. Digital Service
