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Thanks for the insights. It seems like almost a dreamlike place for young, passionate STEM students.

WalterBright 2y ago
It was different than any other university I know about. I'm puzzled nobody else tried to create such an environment. Caltech had many unusual endearing qualities, such as professors were not allowed to take attendance. Perhaps Caltech's best quality was simply having faith in the students, and the students responded by living up to that faith. It brings to mind the Lockheed Skunkworks, a one-of-a-kind immensely successful engineering operation. Many tried to copy it, but always "fixing" it in the process, and failing.
- wolverine876 2y ago
  I get the impression that some small liberal arts colleges have similar cultures; that's a major part of their appeal (though I say that without experience of Caltech or 99% of small liberal arts colleges). Now that I think of it, I wonder how much Caltech is inspired by a similar concept. My theory-in-development about such environments is that they require three things: First, a mission or goal that is 'good' (in the perspective of the people there), that brings out the best in people. 'Make lots of money' or 'monopolize the book trade or 'squeeze $$$ out of nursing home patients' demand values that affect how personnel treat each other. Second, they need a sufficient proportion of personnel who have passion for the 'dream' or 'mission', and who also have a certain level of humanism - not as much philosophically as their norms for behavior, especially trust and compassion for each other. Third, they need a small enough group that it doesn't need to be administered by bureaucractic rules, which become necessary as groups grow too large to run on interpersonal relationships. Also, it is of course hard to change cultures in existing organizations. Could all of Lockheed be run like the Skunkworks? The full company can't be as selective about personnel and it's very large. There are many people, of course, who couldn't care less about such culture and will destroy it offhand. When I've been lucky to be in such magical cultures, the proportion of a-holes was small enough that they complied with the norms of the group; on one team of about only 14, when two leading proponents of the culture left then the a-holes tore apart everything - they resented the culture.
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    Some good observations. I certainly think that being small is a big part of it.

It was different than any other university I know about. I'm puzzled nobody else tried to create such an environment. Caltech had many unusual endearing qualities, such as professors were not allowed to take attendance. Perhaps Caltech's best quality was simply having faith in the students, and the students responded by living up to that faith. It brings to mind the Lockheed Skunkworks, a one-of-a-kind immensely successful engineering operation. Many tried to copy it, but always "fixing" it in the process, and failing.

wolverine876 2y ago
I get the impression that some small liberal arts colleges have similar cultures; that's a major part of their appeal (though I say that without experience of Caltech or 99% of small liberal arts colleges). Now that I think of it, I wonder how much Caltech is inspired by a similar concept. My theory-in-development about such environments is that they require three things: First, a mission or goal that is 'good' (in the perspective of the people there), that brings out the best in people. 'Make lots of money' or 'monopolize the book trade or 'squeeze $$$ out of nursing home patients' demand values that affect how personnel treat each other. Second, they need a sufficient proportion of personnel who have passion for the 'dream' or 'mission', and who also have a certain level of humanism - not as much philosophically as their norms for behavior, especially trust and compassion for each other. Third, they need a small enough group that it doesn't need to be administered by bureaucractic rules, which become necessary as groups grow too large to run on interpersonal relationships. Also, it is of course hard to change cultures in existing organizations. Could all of Lockheed be run like the Skunkworks? The full company can't be as selective about personnel and it's very large. There are many people, of course, who couldn't care less about such culture and will destroy it offhand. When I've been lucky to be in such magical cultures, the proportion of a-holes was small enough that they complied with the norms of the group; on one team of about only 14, when two leading proponents of the culture left then the a-holes tore apart everything - they resented the culture.
- WalterBright 2y ago
  Some good observations. I certainly think that being small is a big part of it.