“It’s 2019, I left my cushy millennial tech job at Microsoft, moved across the country, and took a role in US Government as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow. Some people think I’m crazy, others think I’m brave. But everyone seems to have the same question — What made you decide to take this leap? Why now? Why leave a “good deal”? And why Government?…”
“Why the US Department of Veterans Affairs?
I interviewed with a few different Government agencies but decided to join the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Here’s my math on this…
Greatest Need — Our government services are failing to keep up with the demands of the 21st century. Veterans are some of our most vulnerable citizens across America today. They serve and protect our country with their lives — they deserve our service back.
Greatest Superpower — I’m not a very technical PM, in fact, I’m not a technical PM at all. But I’m a hustle-PM. I identify opportunity, translate concepts, and sell strategic visions. I herd cats, and manage hairy cross-team dependencies. Working under a Chief of Staff, I inadvertently got to watch what it took to run a giant organization — how to build consensus, unblock roadblocks, identify instrumental people, and find alternative paths to getting things done. Above all else, I straddle design and PM, being a steward for human-centered design and inclusive design in building large-scale consumer experiences.
Effective Altruism — There’s no tougher customer design challenge than building digital services for Veterans. Age, access, accessibility, connectivity — if you can build successful product here, you can build successful product anywhere. With over 370,000 employees, the VA is also notorious for endless bureaucracy. Having a heightened tolerance for people-politics and stamina for herding cats is not just needed, it’s necessary. As a Presidential Innovation Fellow, I get to bring my core functional strengths to an agency that needs it the most. In hindsight, Microsoft was basic training for Government…” Read the full post here.
Source: Leaving Microsoft to work in Government – By Clarice Chan, June 24, 2019. Medium.com.
