5 ms·

You’ve just described 95% of projects at large companies. If you consult for any of them you quickly realize there are like 5 people running the entire company

You’ve just described 95% of projects at large companies. If you consult for any of them you quickly realize there are like 5 people running the entire company and 49995 somehow pushing forward through inertia.

kbenson 8y ago
> If you consult for any of them you quickly realize there are like 5 people running the entire company The sad thing is when some clueless manager on a power trip, or just trying to reorganize in the most clueless way, threatens someone vital to operating the company without knowing it. It can escalate quickly as the employee realizes how undervalued they are compared to their contributions, and a small local panic may set in for other people that see the train wreck that's fast approaching and its possible ramifications for them.
- TheArcane 8y ago
  This sounds specific. Has this happened with you?
  - kbenson 8y ago
    I've heard the situation explained times by others. My own experience is from a much, much smaller company and the owner just being oblivious due to his own ego. I saw the tension rising between the two individuals, and heard a few comments the owner had made which made it sound like they didn't think losing the employee in question would be a big deal. My first reaction was "If he fires her, I better look for a new job myself. This company probably has 12 months max without her, at least in it's current makeup."
konschubert 8y ago
And this, kids, is why a small startup can beat a big incumbent.
- buserror 8y ago
  "can" but can also suffer from other idiocy. I know, i've worked many times in big, medium, and small companies. The problem with small companies is... the lack of inertia! You get the CEO reading an article and decide to 'rebrand', throwing away whatever plan there was in motion to do the previous fad. Then he goes to a show, and comes back all bouncy about the new cool stuff we HAVE to start integrating or else we won't be relevant when coming to market. Been there, done that, got a whole pile of t-shirts ;-)
- senorjazz 8y ago
  "change the world", "disrupt the industry"... Builds another social network
everdev 8y ago
Or 40000 doing the bare minimum not to get noticed or fired and 9995 playing politics instead of working.
- HumanDrivenDev 8y ago
  Losers, Clueless, and the Sociopaths https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-... Your 40,000 are the "checked out losers".
  - raarts 8y ago
    Thanks for this link. Aligns very much with my own experience.
  - pmontra 8y ago
    Somebody downvoted you but that site is a real eye opener. I also use to send friends to read it. I'm not sure that everybody appreciates it because it's to easy to find themselves or to realize which role they are playing.
  - Nursie 8y ago
    Wow - "Eventually, as value hits diminishing returns, both the Sociopaths and Losers make their exits, and the Clueless start to dominate. Finally, the hollow brittle shell collapses on itself and anything of value is recycled by the sociopaths according to meta-firm logic." That has a sort of cynical beauty to it. AFAICT I'm a loser-turned-sociopath as I now sell to the highest bidder on a strictly short term basis, and don't believe in anything apart from my bottom line.
Fnoord 8y ago
> You’ve just described 95% of projects at large companies. I've witnessed this in gaming teams as well.

kbenson 8y ago

> If you consult for any of them you quickly realize there are like 5 people running the entire company The sad thing is when some clueless manager on a power trip, or just trying to reorganize in the most clueless way, threatens someone vital to operating the company without knowing it. It can escalate quickly as the employee realizes how undervalued they are compared to their contributions, and a small local panic may set in for other people that see the train wreck that's fast approaching and its possible ramifications for them.

TheArcane 8y ago
This sounds specific. Has this happened with you?
- kbenson 8y ago
  I've heard the situation explained times by others. My own experience is from a much, much smaller company and the owner just being oblivious due to his own ego. I saw the tension rising between the two individuals, and heard a few comments the owner had made which made it sound like they didn't think losing the employee in question would be a big deal. My first reaction was "If he fires her, I better look for a new job myself. This company probably has 12 months max without her, at least in it's current makeup."

konschubert 8y ago

And this, kids, is why a small startup can beat a big incumbent.

buserror 8y ago
"can" but can also suffer from other idiocy. I know, i've worked many times in big, medium, and small companies. The problem with small companies is... the lack of inertia! You get the CEO reading an article and decide to 'rebrand', throwing away whatever plan there was in motion to do the previous fad. Then he goes to a show, and comes back all bouncy about the new cool stuff we HAVE to start integrating or else we won't be relevant when coming to market. Been there, done that, got a whole pile of t-shirts ;-)
senorjazz 8y ago
"change the world", "disrupt the industry"... Builds another social network

everdev 8y ago

Or 40000 doing the bare minimum not to get noticed or fired and 9995 playing politics instead of working.

HumanDrivenDev 8y ago
Losers, Clueless, and the Sociopaths https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-... Your 40,000 are the "checked out losers".
- raarts 8y ago
  Thanks for this link. Aligns very much with my own experience.
- pmontra 8y ago
  Somebody downvoted you but that site is a real eye opener. I also use to send friends to read it. I'm not sure that everybody appreciates it because it's to easy to find themselves or to realize which role they are playing.
- Nursie 8y ago
  Wow - "Eventually, as value hits diminishing returns, both the Sociopaths and Losers make their exits, and the Clueless start to dominate. Finally, the hollow brittle shell collapses on itself and anything of value is recycled by the sociopaths according to meta-firm logic." That has a sort of cynical beauty to it. AFAICT I'm a loser-turned-sociopath as I now sell to the highest bidder on a strictly short term basis, and don't believe in anything apart from my bottom line.

Fnoord 8y ago

> You’ve just described 95% of projects at large companies. I've witnessed this in gaming teams as well.