The day after Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States well known investor and Hyperloop One cofounder Shervin Pishevar said he resigned from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, a political appointment he’d received in 2015. In a letter to President Obama that he posted on Twitter, he wrote: “I cannot serve with a good conscious [sic] a President Trump in any capacity.” For a wide range of tech’s leaders, the sentiment is familiar. Last November felt like a nightmare—an emotional time during which we couldn’t digest the new reality that a real estate tycoon was about to become our president.

But frankly, November seems like a long time ago. Trump is officially our president. It’s time to get on with things. We must recommit to the future of our democracy, and the hope that it can serve all people better. Over the past eight years, the government embraced techies in its effort to do just that, appointing them to advisory committees, anointing them Presidential Innovation Fellows, and calling on them to repair meaningful government services such as HealthCare.gov. (Indeed, Steven Levy has chronicled this for Backchannel, culminating in this piece on the final days of the US Digital Service under the Obama administration.) The government still needs those efforts. And it’s very possible that sometime soon, you will need to decide: are you in?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many of the people most qualified to do the technology, design, and digital strategy jobs that must be done in government are concerned by and fearful of many of Trump’s proposed policies. No one should raise her hand to code the backend of a Muslim registry.

But it’s too easy to opt out, and right now, that would be a dangerous and short-sighted decision. The government serves the people — it’s composed of thousands of individuals who invest energy in making systems better for us. Tech’s leaders have played an increasingly larger role in critical parts of that process, from fixing health care to advising on defense innovation. If you are asked and you are able, you should step up: That is what will be needed to maintain the tech progress we’ve made as a country, and to extend it.

This is not a decision made lightly. There are justifiable reasons why you would not want to call Trump your boss (not the least of which is because you may end up “fired,” or worse, personally called out on his Twitter feed as a foe). Trump is filling his cabinet with officials who appear to be ethically compromised. His first official press conference in six months only served to signal that he’s not interested in working with the media. And he’s suggested using technology in service of some morally unjust practices (like that registry).

But when you accept an appointment in the government, you don’t work for Trump. You work for the American people, upholding the values outlined in the Constitution. We need thoughtful, progressive techies to continue to put American people first. Indeed, Pishevar has since reconsidered, and, at the request of Obama, has chosen to stay on the Fulbright board.**

What’s more, if you have a seat at the table, you have the ability to resist. If you choose to forgo a role, you may find that you have no insight into the process of how decisions are made at all. Isn’t it better to observe and disagree than to miss out on the opportunity to observe? As Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka wrote on the topic, “If the Trump administration fulfills its worst promises, people with conscience, fighting from the inside, could be our best hope of mitigating their worst effects.”

Of course, things that appear outrageous at the outset can quickly evolve into the new normal. Among people considering an appointment, there is the very real concern that, should their morals be tested, they will have acclimatized to this new normal and they’ll be less able to recognize that they need to step away.

Here’s my suggestion: should you be considering a role, appoint several accountability partners — people who know you personally and professionally — to help you stick to your values. Agree to check in with them at regular intervals — perhaps monthly. Decide, before you start, what actions might cause you to relinquish your role, and create a force-quit function for yourself.

There is nothing easy about this decision, and I’ve spoken to many people who have told me, I just really can’t do it. But Obama’s tech surge resulted in real progress for the American people — and drew new attention to all the ways in which our country was falling behind in tech.

We can’t let this work stop. The price of your decision to sit out the next four years is too great.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that Pishevar later retracted his decision to resign.