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For those who aren't familiar with Ray Dalio, beyond being founder and CEO of the world's largest hedge fund, he is also known for his dramatic views on transpa

For those who aren't familiar with Ray Dalio, beyond being founder and CEO of the world's largest hedge fund, he is also known for his dramatic views on transparency in the workplace, and his knack for explaining economic principles in simple terms. These two content pieces he created give a window into his mind: Management principles manifesto https://www.principles.com/#Principles https://www.principles.com/#Principles How the economy works cartoon video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0

s3r3nity 10y ago
I've read a few books that mention Ray's management approach (my fav is "Learn or Die" by Ed Hess) and I find the approach to feedback loops & developing employees fascinating. Radical transparency, data-driven decisions for both people and company strategy, etc. are all ideals that I think in the long-run would remove biases across a number of different axes, and develop some of the most self-aware talent in the industry. Qualitative example: a friend of mine who works there came in with the hypothesis that she would be at a disadvantage on a number of different scales due to being a female in a male-dominated industry. However, because Bridgewater is very open about quantitative evaluations, and video-taping any/all meetings (!!), she is able to validate any/all feedback and claims that people have, and make sure that she's also earning what she deserves. It's an exciting experiment and I'm disappointed to see some turmoil lately, but hopefully they can right the ship again soon.
- caminante 10y ago
  > Radical transparency, data-driven decisions for both people and company strategy, etc. are all ideals that I think ... I'm skeptical about BA's rosy portrayal of "radical transparency," let alone RT as an ideal. According to employee accounts, BA has plenty of skeletons and dirty laundry [0] These accounts talk to top secret areas, HR blow back, secret society themes, and selective use of "private" recordings to fit narratives. A good example's the recorded video of Dalio arguing with a female exec who resorts to crying, which would be selectively shown to demo BA's "direct confrontational culture" to new recruits. They stopped showing the surveillance--err, video. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/business/dealbook/bridgewater-associates-hedge-fund-culture-ray-dalio.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/business/dealbook/bridgew...
  - s3r3nity 10y ago
    Ah interesting - I had no idea about those skeletons. Thanks for the article!
hkmurakami 10y ago
I've heard from friends there that the directness often only flows in one direction (managers being direct and aggressive to their subordinates), but YMMV.
- aleeds 10y ago
  The directness flows both ways, however, the aggression is strictly top down. Ray Dalio, etc, yell at people all the time, and are praised for their honesty. This is not something that goes both ways.
  - dingbat 10y ago
    thats a great distinction. sounds like an institutionalized version of the individual tendency to excuse poor emotional regulation with "it's just who I am, a straight shooter" b.s. authentic (foolish) straight shooters would have no problem yelling in the upwards direction too
    - btreesOfSpring 10y ago
      "People who are brutally honest generally enjoy the brutality more than the honesty." --Richard Needham
      - dingbat 10y ago
        well as long as they are honest about enjoying the brutality i guess they are being consistent!
  - frrp 10y ago
    Thanks. What is your source? Have you worked there?
- kafkaesq 10y ago
  Yeah, that's the exactly rub, as it were, with most "radical transparency" policies like these. Funny how these things tend to work out in Corporate America.
mseebach 10y ago
Is Principles available in a practical (as in, for on the road/commuting reading) format? Kindle, even paperback?
- grepthisab 10y ago
  Absolutely! Even audiobook: https://principlesbydalio.com/ https://principlesbydalio.com/
  - mseebach 10y ago
    Uh, nice, thanks. (I should probably have googled that)
TomDavey 10y ago
The New Yorker magazine published a great profile of Dalio in 2012: Mastering the Machine How Ray Dalio built the world's richest and strangest hedge fund. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/07/25/mastering-the-machine http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/07/25/mastering-the-m... This hour-long interview at a members-only event at the Council on Foreign Relations is also worth watching to get the distinct flavor of the man: http://www.cfr.org/world/ceo-speaker-series-conversation-ray-dalio/p35307 http://www.cfr.org/world/ceo-speaker-series-conversation-ray...

s3r3nity 10y ago

I've read a few books that mention Ray's management approach (my fav is "Learn or Die" by Ed Hess) and I find the approach to feedback loops & developing employees fascinating. Radical transparency, data-driven decisions for both people and company strategy, etc. are all ideals that I think in the long-run would remove biases across a number of different axes, and develop some of the most self-aware talent in the industry. Qualitative example: a friend of mine who works there came in with the hypothesis that she would be at a disadvantage on a number of different scales due to being a female in a male-dominated industry. However, because Bridgewater is very open about quantitative evaluations, and video-taping any/all meetings (!!), she is able to validate any/all feedback and claims that people have, and make sure that she's also earning what she deserves. It's an exciting experiment and I'm disappointed to see some turmoil lately, but hopefully they can right the ship again soon.

caminante 10y ago
> Radical transparency, data-driven decisions for both people and company strategy, etc. are all ideals that I think ... I'm skeptical about BA's rosy portrayal of "radical transparency," let alone RT as an ideal. According to employee accounts, BA has plenty of skeletons and dirty laundry [0] These accounts talk to top secret areas, HR blow back, secret society themes, and selective use of "private" recordings to fit narratives. A good example's the recorded video of Dalio arguing with a female exec who resorts to crying, which would be selectively shown to demo BA's "direct confrontational culture" to new recruits. They stopped showing the surveillance--err, video. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/business/dealbook/bridgewater-associates-hedge-fund-culture-ray-dalio.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/27/business/dealbook/bridgew...
- s3r3nity 10y ago
  Ah interesting - I had no idea about those skeletons. Thanks for the article!

hkmurakami 10y ago

I've heard from friends there that the directness often only flows in one direction (managers being direct and aggressive to their subordinates), but YMMV.

aleeds 10y ago
The directness flows both ways, however, the aggression is strictly top down. Ray Dalio, etc, yell at people all the time, and are praised for their honesty. This is not something that goes both ways.
- dingbat 10y ago
  thats a great distinction. sounds like an institutionalized version of the individual tendency to excuse poor emotional regulation with "it's just who I am, a straight shooter" b.s. authentic (foolish) straight shooters would have no problem yelling in the upwards direction too
  - btreesOfSpring 10y ago
    "People who are brutally honest generally enjoy the brutality more than the honesty." --Richard Needham
    - dingbat 10y ago
      well as long as they are honest about enjoying the brutality i guess they are being consistent!
- frrp 10y ago
  Thanks. What is your source? Have you worked there?
kafkaesq 10y ago
Yeah, that's the exactly rub, as it were, with most "radical transparency" policies like these. Funny how these things tend to work out in Corporate America.

mseebach 10y ago

Is Principles available in a practical (as in, for on the road/commuting reading) format? Kindle, even paperback?

grepthisab 10y ago
Absolutely! Even audiobook: https://principlesbydalio.com/ https://principlesbydalio.com/
- mseebach 10y ago
  Uh, nice, thanks. (I should probably have googled that)

TomDavey 10y ago

The New Yorker magazine published a great profile of Dalio in 2012: Mastering the Machine How Ray Dalio built the world's richest and strangest hedge fund. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/07/25/mastering-the-machine http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/07/25/mastering-the-m... This hour-long interview at a members-only event at the Council on Foreign Relations is also worth watching to get the distinct flavor of the man: http://www.cfr.org/world/ceo-speaker-series-conversation-ray-dalio/p35307 http://www.cfr.org/world/ceo-speaker-series-conversation-ray...