Hey Peter! Absolutely. It was weirdly easy.
As I think you mentioned in another comment, GDS feels a lot like Monzo and vice versa. When I first met Jonas, it was actually one of the first things we chatted about.
GDS feels very different from other departments. Everyone is there because they really believe in making digital services better for the public. The same is true for Monzo. Folks here believe really passionately about making it easier for people to handle their finances. No one looks forward to having to interact with the government or their bank. Usually when you do, you just want to get something done so you can get on with your day. Working with people who understand and empathise with that sounds basic, but contributes to everything both organisations do.
Where it feels different is the speed at which Monzo can move. In gov land, everything needs a lengthy business case, there are mounds of red tape, and there’s always a committee for a committee for a committee involved somewhere.
At Monzo, anyone has the genuine autonomy to pitch an idea, get feedback, and run experiments to find out very quickly whether something is worth investing in. And if we find out something hasn’t worked, that’s a great result for us because we know it’s not worth our time and effort. That’s not to say there aren’t checks and balances in place, but the difference is that you’re working with the system, with the regulations, not against red tape that exists for the sake of it.