Some of the smartest people in tech are choosing to work for an unlikely startup. First, the organization has a lot of legacy baggage. Second, the pay is bad and there’s no equity. And third, while it’s still a relatively new player in its marketplace, its IPO took place about 240 years ago. One by one, some of tech’s most talented are packing up their laptops and heading to Washington, DC to remake government. Their experiences will probably be a lot like being invited to your grandparents’ house for tech support: It’s a just cause, but it might not end well. FastCompany’s Jon Gertner takes you inside Obama’s stealth startup. “He doesn’t care what it takes — he will personally call their bosses, their spouses, their kids to convince them. The crowd laughs. But he gravely responds: I am completely serious.”

+ According to The Atlantic, China’s hacking of federal data is much worse than it first seemed. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again. If America ever reinstates the draft, it will be for coders.