_posts/2014-03-19-hello-world-we-are-18f.md
---
layout: post
date: '2014-03-19T10:14:29-04:00'
tumblr_url: http://18fblog.tumblr.com/post/80066867648/hello-world-we-are-18f
title: "Hello, world! We are 18F"
description: 18F is a startup within GSA, encompassing the Presidential Innovation Fellows program and a cutting edge digital delivery team. We’re doers, recruited from the most innovative corners of industry and the public sector, who are passionate about “hacking” bureaucracy to drive efficiency, transparency, and savings for government agencies and the American people.
excerpt: 18F is a startup within GSA, encompassing the Presidential Innovation Fellows program and a cutting edge digital delivery team. We’re doers, recruited from the most innovative corners of industry and the public sector, who are passionate about “hacking” bureaucracy to drive efficiency, transparency, and savings for government agencies and the American people.
image:
authors:
- 18F
tags:
- transformation services
- culture change
- modern practices
hero: false
---
**What is 18F?**
A) A team of innovators, recruited from the private sector and public
service.<br>
B) In-house designers, developers, and product people making government
services simple and easy to use for the American people.<br>
C) A new unit of the [General Services Administration](https://gsa.gov/)
focused on IT delivery, housed in the agency headquarters at 18th & F
Streets in NW DC.<br>
D) All of the above.
You guessed it. The correct answer is D – [All of the
above.]({{ site.baseurl }}/)
[18F]({{ site.baseurl }}/) is a startup within GSA, encompassing the
[Presidential Innovation Fellows](https://wh.gov/innovationfellows)
program and a cutting edge digital delivery team. We’re doers, recruited
from the most innovative corners of industry and the public sector, who
are passionate about “hacking” bureaucracy to drive efficiency,
transparency, and savings for government agencies and the American
people.
**But what do we actually do?**
- <span>Partner with agencies to deliver high quality in-house digital
services using agile methodologies pioneered by top technology
startups.</span>
- <span>Rapidly deploy working prototypes using [Lean Startup
principles](http://theleanstartup.com/principles) to get a desired
product into a customer’s hands faster.</span>
- <span>Offer digital tools and services that result in governmentwide
reuse and savings, allowing agencies to reinvest in their core
missions.</span>
- <span>We’re transparent about our work, develop [in the
open](https://github.com/18f), and commit to continuous
improvement.</span>
**How do we do it?**
First and foremost, by being focused on our users. We provide effective
user-centered services focused on the interaction between government and
the public it serves. At 18F, we want to build the 21st century
government you deserve.
Agencies should see 18F as a new way to procure, build and deliver
innovative technology, digital services, and public-facing applications.
We operate using three models: for you, with you, or by you. We can
build your solution for you; work with your team and provide additional
expertise or core capacity; or consult on how to build or buy
user-centric interfaces most effectively. 18F’s team of experts is here
to help. After all, we all share the same goal of delivering incredible,
easy-to-use digital services for the people and businesses we serve.
Open source code invites participation by talented and creative people,
and we harness great open source projects in the service of our partner
agencies. We use Agile Methods, the latest technologies, rapid
prototyping, and great design to deliver our software. Our stack is
modern and flexible, using Python, Ruby, Node, WebFlow, SOLR,
ElasticSearch, NoSQL, and d3. Next month there may be something new —
the most important thing we’ve learned is to never stop learning.
> *“It is not enough to adapt to today’s demands, we must anticipate the
> changes that Americans expect from government.”*
> Dan Tangherlini, Administrator, GSA
Like lean startup, we favor experimentation, customer feedback and
analytics, and iterative design over a sequential “waterfall” model.
([Read more about “Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything” in Harvard
Business
Review.](http://steveblank.com/2013/05/06/free-reprints-of-why-the-lean-startup-changes-everything/))
If startups and companies like General Electric can do it, why not the
U.S. Government? Our goal with this approach is two-fold: build
user-centered digital services, and prove that building technology in an
agile manner is possible in government at scale. [Let us
know]({{ site.baseurl }}/#contact) how we can help you, and how you can
help us (hint: we want you!).
[Team 18F]({{ site.baseurl }}/#team)