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This Dinner Party Explains How Engineers And Lobbyists See The World Differently

POLITICO’s Mike Allen sheds light on the evolving relationship between the valley and the swamp

Kris Tripplaar

The first generation of tech companies didn’t concern itself too much with Washington. And some of them paid a price. In turn, the second and even the third generation players we see now are taking pains to avoid their predecessor’s mistakes. They’re opening offices in the district and staffing up with longtime political operatives. Politico’s Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen points to start-ups like ZocDoc, “OpenTable for doctors appointments,” as a great example of how tech “is getting smarter and more attentive to Washington.”

Here’s Allen talking about Silicon Valley in the district—and one telling dinner party: