Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has stepped forward with an offer to support government tech workers who were unexpectedly laid off in the early hours of Saturday morning. Posting on the social media platform Bluesky, Cuban urged the affected employees to turn the setback into an opportunity by forming their own consulting firm.
If you worked for 18F and got fired, Group together to start a consulting company. It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably create. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 8:34 AM
“If you worked for 18F and got fired, group together to start a consulting company,” Cuban wrote. “It’s just a matter of time before DOGE needs you to fix the mess they inevitably created. They will have to hire your company as a contractor to fix it. But on your terms. I’m happy to invest and/or help.”
Government agency shuts down tech unit overnight
Cuban’s comments came after the General Services Administration (GSA) abruptly dismantled its 18F technology unit, which was responsible for developing and managing digital tools for various government agencies. According to Politico, the layoffs affected around 70 employees, who learned of their termination at approximately 1 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday.
Among the projects impacted by the closure is Login.gov, a secure platform used by government agencies like the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide online access to public services. The decision to cut 18F aligns with a directive from the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce and cut costs. The directive came from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has aggressively slashed budgets and consolidated agencies.
The overnight cuts were not the first blow to 18F. In February, the GSA laid off around two dozen probationary employees from the unit, signalling ongoing instability within the department. Late on Friday, employees affected by the latest round of layoffs reportedly received an email from DOGE titled, “What did you do last week? Part II,” asking them to submit their weekly accomplishments by Monday. The email was also sent to workers in other agencies, including the State Department, the IRS, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Could laid-off workers rebuild civic tech on their own terms?
The abrupt layoffs have raised questions about the future of government technology services and whether displaced workers might seize the opportunity to create independent firms. Cuban’s proposal could provide a pathway for former government employees to re-enter the public sector as private contractors. His offer reflects a growing concern that the government’s rapid restructuring could lead to critical service gaps.
Even Elon Musk has acknowledged the challenges created by the swift pace of the cuts. On Wednesday, he admitted that his team had unintentionally disrupted essential government services, saying, “For example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally cancelled — very briefly — was Ebola prevention.” Public health experts have since warned that funding for the programme has not been fully restored.
If Cuban’s vision materialises, former 18F workers could form a new company that the government may eventually need to rely on. Some users on Bluesky have even suggested a name for the hypothetical startup, with one person jokingly proposing, “Name the new company 18FU.”
As DOGE continues to push for efficiency, Cuban’s intervention offers an alternative path for displaced tech professionals—one where they might work with the government again, but on their own terms.
