Matt Bernstein

Nathan Kavanaugh grows up in Pittsburgh.

He went to Indiana University and only went for a year before dropping out and starting a company called Brainbase, which there's so many startups.

that sell their AI services or whatever they do, frankly, to big companies.

I don't really understand the world of startup and founders.

I spend a lot of time in San Francisco where founder culture is a big thing, where people identify as founders.

You know what I mean?

Yes.

And there's a particular kind of like AI-ification version of that happening in San Francisco now where it's like every 22-year-old just like wants to create some bullshit product that like Sam Altman will buy for hundreds of millions of dollars.

And then after six months, people realize that it's completely useless and then it'll go kaput.

But like this child has been made very rich.

That's essentially what Nathan Kavanaugh's background is.

He, after having some success, like selling these like stupid companies, I'm not trying to be mean, but it's like the world will go on without your, you know, upteenth version of like product integration, management, AI skills, skills, management, product, software.

Thank you for checking me.

Thank you for checking me.

Thank you for checking me.

So Nate joins Doge in January of 2025, right after the inauguration.

He is recruited more traditionally through what he calls the mutual investor connection, aka through his business background.

Despite only being in his late 20s, he knew someone.

He knew another rich guy who was involved with Doge.

So despite his founder background experience, did Nathan have any government experience?