FWIW, I suspect people who join the PIFs, 18f, USDS, and Nava will have potentially very different experiences. Each of those organizations has a different strategy, and I don't think anybody yet knows for sure which ones will work out.

I think USDS is doing a good job of putting "critical mass" on a limited number of high-impact projects, and ensuring there is buy-in from the top-level leadership of each agency they work with. That seems like a good strategy to me.