Comments on: Working at Google http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/ escape colon w q Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:56:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: De la vida profesional en Google y Microsoft « La bitácora de Raúl Carmona http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-3698 De la vida profesional en Google y Microsoft « La bitácora de Raúl Carmona Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:16:32 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-3698 [...] y en Microsoft: Life at Google - The Microsoftie Perspective Culture at Microsoft & Google Working at Google Microsoft or [...] [...] y en Microsoft: Life at Google - The Microsoftie Perspective Culture at Microsoft & Google Working at Google Microsoft or [...]

]]> By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2306 felix Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:50:11 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2306 Heh! Well, we may just have differing perspectives. I've worked at several startups (on both coasts!) and have seen the insides of various companies at various consulting gigs. I know how the startup mentality goes - and in a startup it's excusable, with a small staff, excitement in the air, it's easy to get hyped up about your project and grind through the days. I've also seen what happens when the company matures, there's an existing product and there's a lot less excitement about the product but the startup mentality persists because that's simply the way the culture was. It is exceedingly difficult to break out of that, especially when the company remains small to medium sized. Typically there is a culture change when there's an exodus of original staff and a lot of new blood comes in - this breaks the culture and marks the transformation from a startup to an established company. I think that Google has not experienced, yet, what I think of as "the fall". Yahoo, Microsoft and countless other high flyers all used to be able to do no wrong - but then they goofed up. Googlers all still believe that they can do no wrong and their stock prices march ever higher seeming to prove it - this definitely helps contribute to the air of excitement making it seem ok to work 24/7. Nevertheless, I'll stand by what I've said up there. :) I don't believe that all many thousands of Googlers are working 24/7 because they love giving their entire lives to G. They work like that because that's the culture there and when everyone else is doing it, it skews your perspective on what the norm is. Since you no longer have a life, normal is what everyone you work with is doing - and they're all working forever, so you do too. In some ways, I think it's mildly cultish. Of course the kicker is that at the end, a lot of these guys are going to be fabulously wealthy, and that helps, too. Heh! Well, we may just have differing perspectives. I’ve worked at several startups (on both coasts!) and have seen the insides of various companies at various consulting gigs. I know how the startup mentality goes - and in a startup it’s excusable, with a small staff, excitement in the air, it’s easy to get hyped up about your project and grind through the days. I’ve also seen what happens when the company matures, there’s an existing product and there’s a lot less excitement about the product but the startup mentality persists because that’s simply the way the culture was. It is exceedingly difficult to break out of that, especially when the company remains small to medium sized. Typically there is a culture change when there’s an exodus of original staff and a lot of new blood comes in - this breaks the culture and marks the transformation from a startup to an established company.
I think that Google has not experienced, yet, what I think of as “the fall”. Yahoo, Microsoft and countless other high flyers all used to be able to do no wrong - but then they goofed up. Googlers all still believe that they can do no wrong and their stock prices march ever higher seeming to prove it - this definitely helps contribute to the air of excitement making it seem ok to work 24/7.
Nevertheless, I’ll stand by what I’ve said up there. :) I don’t believe that all many thousands of Googlers are working 24/7 because they love giving their entire lives to G. They work like that because that’s the culture there and when everyone else is doing it, it skews your perspective on what the norm is. Since you no longer have a life, normal is what everyone you work with is doing - and they’re all working forever, so you do too. In some ways, I think it’s mildly cultish. Of course the kicker is that at the end, a lot of these guys are going to be fabulously wealthy, and that helps, too.

]]> By: hsin http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2300 hsin Mon, 02 Jul 2007 23:58:23 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2300 Google is definitely unique in their ability to sustain the culture of pushing ahead like a start-up even though they are around 7 years old as a company. The perks help but I think there's something else in the kool-aid there that is driving them. :-) Oh, when I re-read my comment, I realized I should've been more specific. When I said "these type of articles", I was referring to the original one which makes some very generalized comments. If I was to read his article and not have some experience with Google and SV, I would come to many of the same conclusions as you. Google is definitely unique in their ability to sustain the culture of pushing ahead like a start-up even though they are around 7 years old as a company. The perks help but I think there’s something else in the kool-aid there that is driving them. :-)

Oh, when I re-read my comment, I realized I should’ve been more specific. When I said “these type of articles”, I was referring to the original one which makes some very generalized comments. If I was to read his article and not have some experience with Google and SV, I would come to many of the same conclusions as you.

]]> By: felix http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2299 felix Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:32:17 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2299 That's a really good point and perspective - and I may need to clarify. I don't mean to say that Google shouldn't offer these perks or that it is an insidious plot by Google. Indeed, I wish that I had those perks at places where I've worked! Here's the thing, though, I disagree with you that all these Googlers bring that 24/7 culture with them. Once "always working" is part of the corporate culture it is *very* difficult to be the one to buck that trend. And startups are notorious for requiring that of their employees, in many startups, G most likely included, people want to work that hard because they are excited by the newness and the need to get things going. But Google having progressed so far from there can no longer be considered a startup - but that mentality is still ingrained from the early days. And why should G try to do anything to de-grain it? It's employees are working mad hours. I'm not saying that the perks are there to make people stay, they are there because people are already staying and it makes financial sense to encourage that. I completely disagree, though, that all these people would be working 24/7 by unpressured choice. It's possible to keep that up and enjoy it for awhile, but not forever. That’s a really good point and perspective - and I may need to clarify. I don’t mean to say that Google shouldn’t offer these perks or that it is an insidious plot by Google. Indeed, I wish that I had those perks at places where I’ve worked!

Here’s the thing, though, I disagree with you that all these Googlers bring that 24/7 culture with them. Once “always working” is part of the corporate culture it is *very* difficult to be the one to buck that trend. And startups are notorious for requiring that of their employees, in many startups, G most likely included, people want to work that hard because they are excited by the newness and the need to get things going. But Google having progressed so far from there can no longer be considered a startup - but that mentality is still ingrained from the early days. And why should G try to do anything to de-grain it? It’s employees are working mad hours.

I’m not saying that the perks are there to make people stay, they are there because people are already staying and it makes financial sense to encourage that. I completely disagree, though, that all these people would be working 24/7 by unpressured choice. It’s possible to keep that up and enjoy it for awhile, but not forever.

]]> By: hsin http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2298 hsin Mon, 02 Jul 2007 21:47:44 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2298 People outside of Silicon Valley (and many inside of it) might find it odd that a company would offer so much free perks and one of the first thoughts people have is that it is a way to trap a person on campus so he works all the time, but that's not necessarily true. At my company, we have many of the same perks at Google. One of the perks is an on-site post-office. Because it is on-site, I don't have to plan to get up earlier, leave work earlier or use the weekend when I need to ship something. My work hours doesn't change because there is a post-office. I still can go off-campus for lunch but that lunch isn't cut short because I have to go to the post-office and wait in line. One thing that these type of articles always fail to do is to put their observations into context. In this case, it isn't that the company defined the culture but that the culture defined the company. A company of geeky engineer-types likes to be online and work at night and they do so whether they're at Google or another company. If someone observe a typical CS student, they might say that colleges drive their students so hard that they never sleep since they are always typing at 2am and made them drink on weekends. :-) The interpretation that Google and other Silicon Valley companies have some conspiracy to brainwash engineers to slave for them like a cult is a bit unfounded. :-) I've yet hear from any company say, "You can't go home! We're have all these perks!!!" People outside of Silicon Valley (and many inside of it) might find it odd that a company would offer so much free perks and one of the first thoughts people have is that it is a way to trap a person on campus so he works all the time, but that’s not necessarily true.

At my company, we have many of the same perks at Google. One of the perks is an on-site post-office. Because it is on-site, I don’t have to plan to get up earlier, leave work earlier or use the weekend when I need to ship something. My work hours doesn’t change because there is a post-office. I still can go off-campus for lunch but that lunch isn’t cut short because I have to go to the post-office and wait in line.

One thing that these type of articles always fail to do is to put their observations into context. In this case, it isn’t that the company defined the culture but that the culture defined the company. A company of geeky engineer-types likes to be online and work at night and they do so whether they’re at Google or another company.

If someone observe a typical CS student, they might say that colleges drive their students so hard that they never sleep since they are always typing at 2am and made them drink on weekends. :-)

The interpretation that Google and other Silicon Valley companies have some conspiracy to brainwash engineers to slave for them like a cult is a bit unfounded. :-) I’ve yet hear from any company say, “You can’t go home! We’re have all these perks!!!”

]]> By: University Update - Google - Working at Google http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2295 University Update - Google - Working at Google Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:00:20 +0000 http://comments.deasil.com/2007/07/02/working-at-google/#comment-2295 [...] Link to Article google Working at Google » Posted at #comments on Monday, July 02, 2007 [...] [...] Link to Article google Working at Google » Posted at #comments on Monday, July 02, 2007 [...]

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