For the moment, the press and populace appear to be focused on the Trump administration’s handling of Ukraine, but don’t let that fool you; the lightning rod of controversy in the second Trump administration remains Elon Musk and DOGE. Just what is DOGE doing? What is the method behind Musk’s seeming madness? My guest today is a good friend and longtime Musk watcher, Dustin Steeve.
Dustin, not unlike Musk, sits at the intersection of business, entrepreneurship, and politics, and he’s one of the sharpest culture critics I know. His experience in the world of business leadership and tech entrepreneurship gives him unique insight into understanding the principles that undergird Musk’s (often mistaken) brand of chaotic leadership.
In this podcast, Dustin and I walk through Musk’s background and what he’s bringing to the table in terms of assisting the President to find and cut waste and redundancies in the federal government. We then pivot to discussing the work of DOGE, the challenges inherent in any organizational restructuring. Along the way, Dustin provides some excellent contextual background on DOGE, what it is, and what it is not. This is a podcast that cuts through a lot of the hyperbolic noise surrounding Musk and the work of DOGE, and is well worth your time, especially if you, like me, have only been tangentially aware of Musk and his work prior to his emergence as a major player on Team Trump.
Digging deeper
Dustin’s Facebook post that led to this podcast
The last word
If you’re wondering about the title of this episode, well, that’s taken from this classic Danny Kaye bit from The Court Jester:
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