From 55ec853cf08f1b0bb5b0c714706e2ac62297e968 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Flancian <0@flancia.org> Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:39:38 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] autopushed --- Open Letter to Google.md | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/Open Letter to Google.md b/Open Letter to Google.md index 61ba07ebe..11faee511 100644 --- a/Open Letter to Google.md +++ b/Open Letter to Google.md @@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ As of the time of writing this letter is a [[work in progress]]. I started writi # An Agora is what Google should be By this I mean not the [[Agora]] as it is in its current form (in which you might be reading this) -- but rather the Agora in its potential, as a set of values and intentions that I believe are closely aligned with the intent of the founders and of many leaders through the lifetime of the company. -I started the Agora project back in 2017-2019 (depending on how you count) to demonstrate some basic principles in the field of knowledge management that I thought were [[interesting]] and [[important]] to explore in the open. With this letter, I want to make the argument that the Agora represents a step forward in the right direction for a company like Google as it navigates the mid 20s. +I started the Agora project back in 2017-2019 (depending on how you count) to demonstrate some basic principles in the field of knowledge management that I thought were [[interesting]] and [[important]] to explore in the open. With this letter, I want to make the argument that the Agora represents a step forward in the right direction for a company like Google as it navigates the mid 20s. You will be the judge # Google should consider becoming more democratic Most corporations have historically not been democratic at all; governance wise they tend to be (or become) highly hierarchical, in particular as they age and emergent hierarchies solidify and negotiate market pressures. -Google toyed with a form of anti-hierarchy early in its lifetime, way before I joined in 2012. The story goes that Larry and Sergey thought that they could do away with (nascent but ever growing) layers of management, and decided that everyone would report directly to them. The experiment was cancelled after a few months due to the resulting overload. It made sense it would fail, even early in the lifetime of the company, as hierarchies have evolved to reduce coordination overhead and have strong points that have demonstrable evolutionary fitness in the market. My proposal here is, therefore, not that Google should immolate by becoming purely chaotic -- but rather that it should be one of the first companies in the 21st century to adopt \ No newline at end of file +Google toyed with a form of anti-hierarchy early in its lifetime, way before I joined in 2012. The story goes that Larry and Sergey thought that they could do away with (nascent but ever growing) layers of management, and decided that everyone would report directly to them. The experiment was cancelled after a few months due to the resulting overload. It made sense it would fail, even early in the lifetime of the company, as hierarchies have evolved to reduce coordination overhead and have strong points that have demonstrable evolutionary fitness in the market. My proposal here is, therefore, not that Google should immolate by becoming purely chaotic -- but rather that it should be one of the first companies in the 21st century to adopt techniques that have have \ No newline at end of file