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Happy Sunday, pals!

We’re going to deep dive on a real glow-up story today.

DOGE - From viral dog meme to US government department.

In today’s issue

• ⚡️ Lightning List - What I’m reading this week

• 🐕️ Who let the DOGE out? - Elon plans to keep gov workers on a short leash

• ⭐️ Community Spotlight - Vote for my SXSW talk!

• 💰️ Sponsor - SelectSoftware Reviews

⚡️ Lightning List ⚡️ 

🪑 Sit. Stay. 🏢 

The latest political watchdog has quite a bite. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are unleashing a new plan to get federal employees back on a shorter leash - and it's got everybody's tail in a spin.

Let’s dive in on what the heck is actually happening like the little telenovela lovers we are and I’ll tell you why you should care.

⏰ The Timeline

• November 2024 - Thinning The Pack

  • Musk and Ramaswamy publish a Wall Street Journal op-ed proposing "mass head-count reductions" in federal workforce

  • They suggest reducing federal workforce by up to 75%
    

• December 5, 2024 - Top Dogs Mark Their Territory

  • Musk and Ramaswamy conduct closed-door meetings with Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill

  • Discussions center around the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
    

• December 6, 2024 - DOGE Bares Teeth

  • DOGE reveals plans to cut $2 trillion in "government waste"

  • Senator Ernst releases a 60-page report on federal workforce attendance

  • Proposal for REMOTE Act introduces employee monitoring software

🦮 The Alpha Pack

• Elon Musk: Our favorite chaos agent, now moonlighting as government efficiency expert

• Vivek Ramaswamy: Billionaire co-chair of DOGE and enthusiastic federal workforce reducer

• Senator Joni Ernst: Leading the Senate DOGE caucus and dropping farm metaphors about federal workers

• Federal Employees: All 2.2 million of them, probably updating their LinkedIn profiles right now

👋 Dogs Sent to the Streets

Musk and friends are promising to cut $2 trillion in "government waste." How? By basically making remote work so uncomfortable that people quit. It's like constructive dismissal, but make it tech.

The plan includes:

• Mandatory return to office for all federal workers

• Surveillance software to track every keystroke

• Monitoring of network traffic and login times

• A promise to "welcome" mass resignations

But here's the kicker - DOGE is actually just an advisory group. They have pretty much no direct power (their bark is bigger than their bite). But that doesn't mean they can't cause chaos.

🤔 The Reality Check

The Federal Office of Management and Budget (you know, the folks who actually track this stuff) paint a different picture:

• About half of federal workers are already fully in-person

• 60% of telework-eligible work is done on-site

• These numbers match private sector patterns

🔮 What This Means for the Future of Work

1. The Remote Work Culture War Isn't Over - While most companies have settled into hybrid models, the debate rages on in the public sector. It's like 2020 never ended.

2. Surveillance Tech is Going Mainstream - That creepy software monitoring your keystrokes? It's not just for suspicious managers anymore - it's getting government attention.

3. The Public-Private Sector Gap is Widening - As private companies compete for talent with flexible work arrangements, the government might be moving backward.

4. Leadership by Twitter (Sorry, X) - When policy discussions happen via social media hot takes, we all lose. But here we are.

5. The Great Resignation 2.0? - If these policies go through, we might see a mass exodus from government jobs. Private sector recruiters, start your engines!

The Bigger Picture: Who's Walking Who?

This isn't just about where federal employees put their laptops - it's about the future of work itself. When tech billionaires start shaping government workforce policy, we're entering uncharted territory.

Will this lead to more efficient government? Maybe. Will it cause a brain drain in federal agencies? Probably. Will Elon tweet about it at 3 AM? Definitely.

What we're really seeing is a clash between old-school management thinking (butts in seats = productivity) and the reality of modern work. It's like trying to solve 2024's problems with 1984's solutions.

But hey, at least they named it DOGE. Because nothing says "serious government efficiency" like naming your initiative after a meme cryptocurrency, right?

What do you think? Is this the future of government work, or just another episode of "Tech Bros Try Policy"?

⭐️ Community Spotlight ⭐️ 

Spotlight on me today! It’s my newsletter so deal with it lol

I’m gearing up for some INCREDIBLE speaking engagements in 2025 including LEAP in Riyadh (February 2025). Did you know it holds the title as the world’s most attended tech conference?

Want to attend? Get 50% off of a Delegate Pass by using the code SPK000001ZGU here.

In other news, I’m in the running to speak at the very first SXSW in London!

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That’s all for now, pals. See ya next week.

Eryn