Ep 106: Zac Bookman on Advice for DOGE & Building OpenGov into a $1.8 Billion GovTech Leader

In 2012, Zac Bookman and I set out to bring efficiency and transparency to state and local governments using the best of Silicon Valley technology. Some said we were naive; others laughed when we tried to raise money from them. Over a decade later, OpenGov is a govtech leader, recently acquired by Cox Enterprises for $1.8 billion. And now, government efficiency, namely DOGE, is all the rage!
What does it take to bring government out of the stone ages and into the cloud? And how can DOGE and the new administration seize upon this cultural and political sea change? We discuss this and more with OpenGov co-founder and CEO Zac Bookman. A litigator by training, Zac fought corruption as a Fulbright fellow in Mexico and as an advisor to General McMaster in Afghanistan. As we launched OpenGov, Zac was recruiting candidates on his cell phone from NATO HQ — reflective of his intense work ethic and leadership.
We start with Zac's entrepreneurial journey and key lessons from Afghanistan, before diving into the make-or-break moments in building OpenGov. We also discuss his remarkable M&A track record and strategy of buying tiny govtech companies and helping them scale. Next, we explore Zac's advice for DOGE and how to effect meaningful and lasting change within government. Finally, Zac outlines how OpenGov is harnessing AI and the new possibilities for more functional and responsive governments around the country.
00:00 Episode intro
01:45 Zac's story
07:10 Fighting corruption in Afghanistan
11:30 The origins of OpenGov
19:35 Make-or-break moments
26:35 Understanding how local government works
28:10 Zac's unique M&A strategy
32:24 Advice for DOGE
37:35 Pivoting OpenGov to AI first
44:45 Biking across America & optimism

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