Governments adopt agile hiring practices
Ukraine’s defense minister was removed after six months. Mykhailo Fedorov, 35 and without military experience, left office in July 2026 following public protests in Kyiv. A deputy air-force commander stepped down in support. Recent polling showed trust in Fedorov had risen from 38% to 50% during his tenure.
His expertise lay in software, not government processes. That distinction is changing how nations operate.
The experiment under pressure
When Russia launched its invasion, Ukraine required an advantage. Fedorov, then serving as digital-transformation minister, created the system that provided it. He consolidated state services into a smartphone app called Diia, activated Starlink within days, and coordinated with global tech companies. By January 2026, he was placed in charge of Europe’s largest active military and instructed to apply the same approach: shorten decision cycles, test rapidly, expand successful initiatives, and eliminate unnecessary procedures.
Volunteer drone developers were integrated directly into the ministry. Procurement was made transparent. A data-driven restructuring promised to prioritize battlefield outcomes over seniority. The strategy treated software as the key to modernizing hardware.
Ukraine’s drone capabilities grew into one of the most advanced in the world. Success came with resistance.
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Pakistan’s financial transformation
Pakistan’s struggle isn’t over land. It’s about staying relevant in an economy shaped by digital financial systems. Stablecoins, tokenized assets, and AI-driven platforms are reshaping finance as fundamentally as the internet changed communication.
Rather than assigning oversight of virtual assets to traditional regulators, the government entrusted the task to Bilal Bin Saqib, a young technology entrepreneur. The message was unmistakable: this was about economic competitiveness, not just compliance.
Digital assets became infrastructure—pathways for a record $41.6 billion in remittances, a draw for foreign investment, and a means of financial access for the unbanked majority. Within two years, the approach established a regulatory authority, a licensing framework, and direct partnerships with major digital-finance firms.
The strategy is now in place. The next challenge is implementation, where such models often falter.
Fedorov and Bin Saqib share more than youth. Both recognize that technology advances faster than bureaucracy, that speed is a critical advantage, and that governments should facilitate innovation rather than just regulate it. They view digital infrastructure as essential national infrastructure and believe technical talent belongs in policy roles, not just lobbying from outside.
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For much of the 20th century, governments were led by lawyers and career politicians. The current era favors those who can create platforms. The difference is clear in how these two leaders operate: they track progress by deployments, not documents.
The overlooked risk
Fedorov’s removal highlights a reality many overlook. Reformers entering government often clash with the institutions they’re meant to change. Some conflicts end with the reformer removed and the system unchanged.
Ukraine tested this model in wartime and hesitated. Pakistan is testing it in finance, with an uncertain outcome. The countries that succeed won’t just have younger leaders. They’ll have governments that function like modern development teams: iterative, measurable, and constantly improving.
Pakistan’s approach stands out for another reason. A nation often criticized for inefficiency handed a complex task to an outsider—and made progress. Legislation, a regulator, rulebooks, a sandbox, banking access, and a place at international decision-making tables in Zurich were all established in fifteen months. The work was done without additional funding.
For once, Pakistan is helping set the rules instead of being told what they are.
