The fish always stinks from the head downwards

Glenn Reynolds:

A few years ago Google lost its position as an outfit that people trusted because they thought it was run by friendly well-meaning geeks, and became just another big corporation out for the money.  I think that's hurt them, and I also think it's sad, if perhaps inevitable.

Unfortunately, “friendly and well-meaning geeks” have little patience with (or interest in) corporate game-playing.  Over time they get displaced by more political “management” types who are just “out for the money.”  Once the number of such “managers” reaches a critical point, only those with compatible priorities receive promotion, and the company’s culture changes from “do the right thing” to “do the profitable thing.”  Canonical examples: Hewlett-Packard^[1], General Electric, Gannett, and Google.
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Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 14:52:36 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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