4 ms·

What mission did they focus on and how did it go? All I see here is "I wrote a controversial screed and many people tolerated it and kept showing up to work."

What mission did they focus on and how did it go? All I see here is "I wrote a controversial screed and many people tolerated it and kept showing up to work." That's great and all, but what sort of new things did it unlock? How do you compare it to the world where you didn't write the screed? It all feels like a heap of bullshit to me -- if you're in the right industry, you can be the worst manager on the planet and your company can still do okay. He's just saying that his household name company in a booming industry did all right last year. We all kind of expected that, it would be nearly impossible to not make money in Coinbase's position. (Like what if nobody merged any code last year and didn't launch any features? They'd still be doing great!) My controversial opinion is that companies like Apple and Amazon did well in spite of their leaders' quirks. AWS would have been a great business even if Jeff Bezos didn't fire people recovering from cancer. The iPhone still would have been a hit if Jobs didn't bring someone to tears over a bug in their code. I think you can make great products AND be nice to your employees, and maybe even let them discuss how black lives matter at work.

refenestrator 5y ago
Noisy echo chambers are uninclusive to anyone who doesn't hold that precise political viewpoint. We both know that the program goes way beyond "black people shouldn't be indiscriminately shot", its driven by people who are addicted to social media and perpetually pushing for another rush of outrage. I'd prefer not to be around that, personally.
- fancifulfiend 5y ago
  It seems like Brian Armstrong is the only person using social media to push for fabricated outrage. Anyone complaining about “wokeness” is talking about an issue that only exists in the minds of true bigots. It’s a boogeyman that they use to punch down. No one is forcing Armstrong to say stupid shit constantly.
  - Jensson 5y ago
    Even Google fires woke bigots now and then, so it is certainly a real issue.
  - refenestrator 5y ago
    I don't really use Twitter, but this is the first time I've heard of the whole thing since a year ago. If he's on there every day fighting with people, then yeah, he's an addict too. If he's just checking in after a year and saying "hey it's working out for us", more power to him.
- mvc 5y ago
  > We both know that the program goes way beyond "black people shouldn't be indiscriminately shot" I say we call their bluff and stop shooting black people indiscrimately anyway. That'll show 'em.
  - refenestrator 5y ago
    How many people are you shooting?
disneygibson 5y ago
Did you read the tweets? He said that most stakeholders told him they were very happy with the mission focus.
- jrockway 5y ago
  I just want to know what the mission was. Did they launch more features? Make more money?
  - disneygibson 5y ago
    The first tweet has a link to the blog post.
staysafeanon 5y ago
>What mission did they focus on and how did it go? RTFA: https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-company-af882df8804 https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-comp...
- Talanes 5y ago
  If you could tell me what point you think I should be drawing from that link, it would be lovely. Because all I see is the first half devoted to the sort of generic PR speak that any company does about having an aligned vision, and the latter half is about what they're not doing. Where's the big reveal? What makes being a 'mission focused' company different than just... actually not making political statements? What did the big meta-political statement add to their company?
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - staysafeanon 5y ago
    >If you could tell me what point you think I should be drawing from that link, it would be lovely. The point is it outlines the companies mission, as requested by the GP. >Because all I see is the first half devoted to the sort of generic PR speak that any company does about having an aligned vision, and the latter half is about what they're not doing. "You linked me a PR article where a company describes their mission and supplements it with supporting statements." Yeah... No shit... that's literally what was asked for, and it's literally what I provided. >Where's the big reveal? The "big reveal" is the mission statement, mission scope, and business focus. >What makes being a 'mission focused' company different than just... actually not making political statements? Literally answered in the linked article. >What did the big meta-political statement add to their company? Added their mission statement and scope. Seems like you're incapable of grasping these basic concepts. I believe you may have to be 18 to post here. Here's a better site for underage kids that may not grasp things like company mission statements: www.reddit.com
    - 5y ago
websap 5y ago
What you are talking about is Microsoft in the Balmer years. No focus on delivery, no focus on perfection, churning out half assed products. See where it got them? Lost out on mobile, lost out on Cloud, Playstation is still a better gaming console, etc. Leaders inspire, letting things slide is bad for the culture of succcess.
- sneak 5y ago
  From GP: > if you're in the right industry, you can be the worst manager on the planet and your company can still do okay. Has Coinbase ever had a culture of success, or were they just in cryptocurrency during the cryptocurrency explosion where everyone made money?
  - Zababa 5y ago
    Is that statement even falsifiable, or is it just an observation on the random nature of company success?
  - AlexCoventry 5y ago
    They're the most trusted cryptocurrency exchange in the US.
    - likeclockwork 5y ago
      Low bar.
cxzaq 5y ago
> let them discuss how black lives matter at work. That is not how it works. In practice, there is a bigoted, mostly fresh from college activist group that considers themselves morally superior. Some Gen-X and Boomers join for their careers. The group looks down on everyone else, treats them with suspicion. Gen-X, who wore Greenpeace and anti war buttons and helped introduce women quotas in the workplace is lectured by brats with $250,000 salaries (which for some reason the little angels don't give away to Black people). The whole movement is deeply hypocritical and self-serving. It is NOT merely discussion!
native_samples 5y ago
> what sort of new things did it unlock? Talent: "it has allowed us to hire some of the best talent from organizations where employees are fed up with politics, infighting, and distraction"
alentist 5y ago
You need to take your blinders off and get some reading glasses. > What is the scope of our mission? > Coinbase’s mission is to create an open financial system for the world. This means we want to use cryptocurrency to bring economic freedom to people all over the world. This is difficult and important work, and every employee at Coinbase signed up because they are excited about this mission. More details here: https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-company-af882df8804 https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-comp... The fact that you immediately jumped to calling it a "screed"—not once, but twice—despite allegedly not knowing this reveals your motives quite clearly. You are simply ideologically opposed to the message, not its form, and in favor of the imposition of a woke monoculture. Your dishonest use of an obvious motte-and-bailey in your last sentence is just the cherry on top.

refenestrator 5y ago

Noisy echo chambers are uninclusive to anyone who doesn't hold that precise political viewpoint. We both know that the program goes way beyond "black people shouldn't be indiscriminately shot", its driven by people who are addicted to social media and perpetually pushing for another rush of outrage. I'd prefer not to be around that, personally.

fancifulfiend 5y ago
It seems like Brian Armstrong is the only person using social media to push for fabricated outrage. Anyone complaining about “wokeness” is talking about an issue that only exists in the minds of true bigots. It’s a boogeyman that they use to punch down. No one is forcing Armstrong to say stupid shit constantly.
- Jensson 5y ago
  Even Google fires woke bigots now and then, so it is certainly a real issue.
- refenestrator 5y ago
  I don't really use Twitter, but this is the first time I've heard of the whole thing since a year ago. If he's on there every day fighting with people, then yeah, he's an addict too. If he's just checking in after a year and saying "hey it's working out for us", more power to him.
mvc 5y ago
> We both know that the program goes way beyond "black people shouldn't be indiscriminately shot" I say we call their bluff and stop shooting black people indiscrimately anyway. That'll show 'em.
- refenestrator 5y ago
  How many people are you shooting?

disneygibson 5y ago

Did you read the tweets? He said that most stakeholders told him they were very happy with the mission focus.

jrockway 5y ago
I just want to know what the mission was. Did they launch more features? Make more money?
- disneygibson 5y ago
  The first tweet has a link to the blog post.

staysafeanon 5y ago

>What mission did they focus on and how did it go? RTFA: https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-company-af882df8804 https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-comp...

Talanes 5y ago
If you could tell me what point you think I should be drawing from that link, it would be lovely. Because all I see is the first half devoted to the sort of generic PR speak that any company does about having an aligned vision, and the latter half is about what they're not doing. Where's the big reveal? What makes being a 'mission focused' company different than just... actually not making political statements? What did the big meta-political statement add to their company?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- staysafeanon 5y ago
  >If you could tell me what point you think I should be drawing from that link, it would be lovely. The point is it outlines the companies mission, as requested by the GP. >Because all I see is the first half devoted to the sort of generic PR speak that any company does about having an aligned vision, and the latter half is about what they're not doing. "You linked me a PR article where a company describes their mission and supplements it with supporting statements." Yeah... No shit... that's literally what was asked for, and it's literally what I provided. >Where's the big reveal? The "big reveal" is the mission statement, mission scope, and business focus. >What makes being a 'mission focused' company different than just... actually not making political statements? Literally answered in the linked article. >What did the big meta-political statement add to their company? Added their mission statement and scope. Seems like you're incapable of grasping these basic concepts. I believe you may have to be 18 to post here. Here's a better site for underage kids that may not grasp things like company mission statements: www.reddit.com
  - 5y ago

websap 5y ago

What you are talking about is Microsoft in the Balmer years. No focus on delivery, no focus on perfection, churning out half assed products. See where it got them? Lost out on mobile, lost out on Cloud, Playstation is still a better gaming console, etc. Leaders inspire, letting things slide is bad for the culture of succcess.

sneak 5y ago
From GP: > if you're in the right industry, you can be the worst manager on the planet and your company can still do okay. Has Coinbase ever had a culture of success, or were they just in cryptocurrency during the cryptocurrency explosion where everyone made money?
- Zababa 5y ago
  Is that statement even falsifiable, or is it just an observation on the random nature of company success?
- AlexCoventry 5y ago
  They're the most trusted cryptocurrency exchange in the US.
  - likeclockwork 5y ago
    Low bar.

cxzaq 5y ago

> let them discuss how black lives matter at work. That is not how it works. In practice, there is a bigoted, mostly fresh from college activist group that considers themselves morally superior. Some Gen-X and Boomers join for their careers. The group looks down on everyone else, treats them with suspicion. Gen-X, who wore Greenpeace and anti war buttons and helped introduce women quotas in the workplace is lectured by brats with $250,000 salaries (which for some reason the little angels don't give away to Black people). The whole movement is deeply hypocritical and self-serving. It is NOT merely discussion!

native_samples 5y ago

> what sort of new things did it unlock? Talent: "it has allowed us to hire some of the best talent from organizations where employees are fed up with politics, infighting, and distraction"

alentist 5y ago

You need to take your blinders off and get some reading glasses. > What is the scope of our mission? > Coinbase’s mission is to create an open financial system for the world. This means we want to use cryptocurrency to bring economic freedom to people all over the world. This is difficult and important work, and every employee at Coinbase signed up because they are excited about this mission. More details here: https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-company-af882df8804 https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-mission-focused-comp... The fact that you immediately jumped to calling it a "screed"—not once, but twice—despite allegedly not knowing this reveals your motives quite clearly. You are simply ideologically opposed to the message, not its form, and in favor of the imposition of a woke monoculture. Your dishonest use of an obvious motte-and-bailey in your last sentence is just the cherry on top.