Why Government-Built Software Almost Always Fails

Let’s be honest—when the government tries to build its own software, it almost never ends well. In today’s world of tight budgets, higher expectations for transparency, and the need to move fast, it just doesn’t make sense for agencies to reinvent the wheel when proven solutions already exist in the private sector.

We’ve seen it time and again: government-funded software projects that take years, cost way more than planned, and end up delivering outdated or unusable tools. Meanwhile, commercial software companies—whose entire business is building and maintaining technology—are already solving these problems.

Here’s why “homegrown” government software is a recipe for failure:

1. It takes too long and costs too much.
   Government projects drag on for years, get buried in requirements creep, and go way over budget. By the time they deliver, the solution is already outdated. Taxpayers pay for something that should never have been built in the first place.
2. Government lacks the right expertise.
   Building modern software requires specialists in UX, cloud, cybersecurity, integrations, AI—the list goes on. Agencies rarely have this talent in-house. High turnover drains knowledge and hiring contractors to fill the gaps drives costs even higher.
3. Software needs constant upkeep.
   Software isn’t something you “finish.” It requires ongoing patches, updates, and improvements. Too often, government systems are abandoned shortly after launch, leaving behind clunky, insecure “orphan” software.
4. It duplicates what already exists.
   Commercial solutions already solve 80–90% of most agency needs. Starting from scratch isn’t just wasteful—it’s irresponsible when taxpayer dollars are on the line.
5. It stifles innovation.
   Commercial products improve constantly because they’re used across industries and funded by large customer bases. Government-built systems, on the other hand, stagnate—and agencies get stuck using outdated tech.
6. It’s a distraction from the mission.
   Every dollar spent building software is a dollar not spent on defense readiness, public services, or infrastructure. Government should focus on governing—not on trying to act like a software company.

The bottom line:
Governments shouldn’t build their own software. It’s too costly, too slow, and too risky. The smarter path is to buy proven commercial solutions, configure them to fit agency needs, and focus government energy on oversight and mission delivery—not software development.