GovContrActually Returns!
GovContrActually returns tomorrow. Plus, a peek at what I’ve been building with Tandem and Tango.
Hi y’all—I dunno about you, but for me, the last few months have felt a bit like the opening sequence of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Still, just like Indiana Jones, after narrowly escaping the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune[1], it’s time for me to come back to the proverbial classroom.
Starting tomorrow, I’m planning to continue publishing GovContrActually here in email form and on LinkedIn. I’m very excited about getting back into the writing habit.
But, in the meantime, I also wanted to share a bit about what actually pays the bills around here (in the hopes that I can continue to pay the bills). And, for maximum readability, I will now commence with headings!
Tandem
First up is Tandem. Over the past 2.5 years, my colleagues Becky Vasquez, Kathryn Mullins, and I have had the chance to work alongside incredible organizations, from fast-moving startups, nonprofit organizations, government consulting firms, federal agencies, and enterprise teams trying to navigate the complex world of public-sector growth.
From market fit to compliance hurdles to figuring out which contract vehicle to chase—we’ve seen the same challenges come up again and again. And lately, we’ve been getting the same question from clients:
“Can we just hop on a call and get quick, focused advice on one big problem?”
So… we built something for exactly that.
Introducing the Government Go-to-Market Power Hour! It’s an investment of one hour and $750 to really dig into one of five key elements of a proper government GTM strategy.
As one of our pilot customers wrote:
We left with clarity, next steps, and a new sense of urgency—without the chaos.
If you or someone you know might want clarity (and, really, who doesn't?), please let them know about the GTM Power Hour![2]
Tango
My other major project is Tango (under the corporate banner of MakeGov, a subsidiary of Tandem). Along with my cofounder Yoni Knoll, we have built a REST API for government procurement and grants data designed for public-sector builders.
- If you’re like “give me my damn API key already,” there’s a free tier! Just go ahead and sign up at https://tango.makegov.com right now.
- If you’re like “shut up and take my money,” there are paid tiers. Same link: https://tango.makegov.com, just upgrade to one of the paid plans (prices here: https://tango.makegov.com/pricing).
- If you’re like, “I don’t know what a REST API is” or “wait, isn’t this data already available,” you’re not the ideal customer. And that’s perfectly fine!
We’re looking for folks who are excited to ship things using government-procurement data and understand that the current ecosystem is super difficult to use.
So, if you know someone who might fit that description, send them our way.
Thank you, as always!
Maybe it’s the summer winding down here in Madison. Maybe it's the kids about to go back to school. Maybe it’s the fact that this is the exact moment where none of my sports teams have yet let me down for the season. In any case, I am in a reflective mood and I am grateful for your continued support and readership.
That said, if you’re not interested in receiving more emails, I won’t be offended if you unsubscribe. It’s a great time to clear the inbox of clutter.
Otherwise, look out for tomorrow’s post, in which we discuss what Michael Scott from the Office can teach us about sole-source contracting.
[1] Who doesn’t love a randomly placed Shakespeare reference? Fortunately, I appreciate ChatGPT’s comparison of Indy and Hamlet: “Different centuries, same vibes: brainy hero dragged into danger by family, deceit, and skulls.” Indeed.
[2] We also, of course, do longer term engagements with customers and clients.