We the Builders launched 3 months ago, on February 19th, 2025. In this short time, we established ourselves as a trusted content creator, powered by a dedicated team of volunteers. We are known for sound technical reporting and deep understanding of the ins and out of federal government -- skills we honed while working in many federal agencies. We are a source of trust, inspiration, and hope for curious Americans, civic technologists, and people in and around the federal government.
What we've accomplished in 90 days
Our content
Our content speaks for itself. Here's what we've done:
- Published 41 posts, tackling critical issues like misinformation, championing federal workers, demystifying government processes, and highlighting critical risks.
- Shared 16 newsletters, which serve as a direct line to our growing community. Each newsletter features deeper dives into critical topics, helpful resources, and calls to action.
- Documented 20 timeline events, creating a vital historical record of harmful actions DOGE has taken since its inception.
The credibility of our work has made us a go to source for leading media outlets, who have quoted or re-posted our work. This includes the New York Times, Fast Company, Wired, Fortune, and Nextgov, amplifying our message to millions. We also appeared on prominent radio and podcasts**, **sharing our insights on influential platforms like the New Yorker Radio Hour, Tech Won't Save Us, and CybershowUK.
Our community
The people we surround ourselves with are our magic. Our growing community is the engine driving our impact and building powerful momentum for what's next:
- We're a dedicated team of 25 members who have served in over 10 government agencies.
- We've received 20+ submissions from community members.
- Our message reaches far, with over 16,000 followers on Bluesky.
Our ability to move quickly and (not) break things
As a team of dedicated volunteers, we deliver high-impact content without compromising accuracy or depth. We have accomplished a lot with limited time:
- We published our first articles in five days.
- In our first two weeks, we maintained a rapid pace by publishing two articles a day.
- We curated and published a nuanced timeline of DOGE activities, comparing their approach with how an effective technology organization would operate.
Our efficiency isn't just about speed; it's about strategic action that builds credibility and drives the conversation.
Our core strengths
- We are experts in technology, communications, design, service delivery, technical implementation, and storytelling.
- We leverage wide networks and diverse sources, providing us with access to trusted and accurate information.
- We deeply understand federal systems, the American public, and how technology interacts with both.
- We create essential content at the forefront of civic tech, and the intersection technology and policy.
Initiatives
Here's what we are working on in the next 90 days.
We step in where the government has walked away
We the Builders content
We keep the public informed and engaged through consistent, high-quality content:
- Articles publish twice weekly on wethebuilders.org.
- Three newsletters a week
- Regular posts appear on Bluesky, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter
- Timeline updates every other week
Newsroom for "alt" government groups
Do you miss government information on public health, spreading diseases, weather and climate, or disaster warnings? We're already on it!
We are building an Newsroom for "alt" government groups. These groups, often current or recent agency employees, want to share longer-form content and reveal what's truly happening behind the scenes at their agencies.
Agency scorecard
Struggling to keep up with agency changes?? Unsure if you'll get the services you need? We want to help.
We are building a tool that gives you publicly-available metrics for each agency, showing you exactly what's happening. See real data on:
- Agency websites uptime and stability
- Current wait times for services
- Application processing times
- Services that have been cut
A positive vision for the future
We're not just reacting to what's broken; we're actively building a vision for what comes next. We want to bring a positive vision of what we want America to be. We don't want to just react with fear or anger against something, we want to be for something. Our next steps are:
- Recruit people to help build and grow our ambitious plans
- Find and collaborate with others working in this space
- Be a founding member of a powerful coalition dedicated to this shared mission
Chip in
Your donations fuels our impact and helps expand our coverage. Any amount you contribute helps strengthen our efforts. Chip in now at givebutter.org/wtb.