Joe Gebbia Joins Elon Musk’s Government Efficiency Commission, DOGE

Joe Gebbia, a co-founder and former chief product officer of Airbnb, recently announced his participation in Elon Musk's government efficiency commission, DOGE. Gebbia, who also serves on Tesla's board, expressed his excitement about bringing his designer expertise and entrepreneurial mindset to the government in a post on X.

Gebbia's Mission at DOGE

Gebbia revealed that his initial focus at DOGE would be to streamline the slow and paper-based retirement process for federal employees. This move comes in response to Musk's criticism of the manual and paper-based nature of retirement applications processing, which limits the number of retirements to 10,000 per month due to inefficiencies.

The Challenge of Transitioning from Paper to Digital

Musk highlighted the archaic process of retirement paperwork being manually calculated, written on paper, and stored in a limestone mine in Boyers, Pennsylvania. The Office of Personnel Management's efforts to transition to an online platform have faced challenges, as acknowledged by Guy Cavallo, the agency's then-chief information officer.

Gebbia's Design Vision for Government User Experience

Since stepping away from his operational role at Airbnb in 2022, Gebbia has been seeking new digital design challenges. His decision to enhance the user experience within the government aligns with his passion for creating user-friendly digital products. Gebbia's recent post included a video from the OPM showcasing the successful digital processing of a retirement application in just one week, a significant improvement from the typical 64-day process.

Collaborative Efforts and Musk's Response

Gebbia extended an invitation to others interested in designing aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly digital solutions to join the cause. Musk, in response to Gebbia's post, expressed his gratitude for the collaborative effort. However, representatives for DOGE have not provided any comments on Gebbia's involvement or compensation.

This marks Gebbia's official confirmation of his role with DOGE, following earlier reports by The New York Times. While it remains uncertain if Gebbia will receive payment for his contributions, his established rapport with Musk, including their shared Tesla board membership, underlines a history of collaboration between the two. Gebbia's past interactions with Musk, such as discussions around purchasing a property from Gebbia's startup, Samara, further solidify their professional relationship.

In a separate context, Gebbia's political inclinations came to light when he disclosed his vote for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, despite a history of supporting the Democratic Party. Gebbia cited a shift in the party's values as a reason for his change in allegiance and expressed hope for a realignment that resonates with individuals like himself.

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By: ktan@businessinsider.com (Kwan Wei Kevin Tan)
Title: Joe Gebbia Joins Elon Musk’s Government Efficiency Commission, DOGE
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-cofounder-apply-designer-brain-start-up-spirit-doge-2025-2
Published Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2025 04:11:09 +0000