I feel you on the pain of the many businesses in the tech industry putting profit over people. Or business productivity over people’s mental and physical health. I’m optimistic that those that put people first will win in the long run.
Living a meaningful and fulfilling life is becoming increasingly important for people. More studies are coming out and more people are starting to understand that happiness comes from human warmth and connection. Other people bring us the most happiness; nothing else comes close.
The other trend I’m seeing is more resources and strategies for startups to bootstrap without investors. A key to focusing more on people is avoiding having to beg investors and banks for money in exchange for control and a short runway. Slow, steady growth while maintaining full control and creative freedom is more achievable than ever before.
My small consulting collective operates not-for-profit, earned all its money through paying customers, and has experienced 3-4X growth every year for three years. We’re looking to have the community ownership of the business next year. We also partner with similar businesses aggressively, forming a strong partnership ecosystem to help us compete against bigger companies.
Times are changing in many ways. The wealth gap is growing but so are the tools and ideas for empowering those that want to put people-first.
Sorry, submitted prematurely by accident. I was going to say that 50+ hour weeks are doable as long as I get to pick the hours and fit it to my life and priorities.
Thanks for the article, Jean. I enjoy your writing and appreciate your perspective.
Quarantine was the first experience many people had with a remote working arrangement. It is not surprising that many people think of isolation and loneliness when discussing remote work. Many leaders were unprepared to support their teams during quarantine because many had never led a distributed team. Executive leadership was in a similar boat. Most had (have) no idea what it would take to lead a distributed organization.
I'm no apologist for lazy leadership that can't be bothered to learn what makes their teams tick. I do understand the nostalgia that I hear when some people talk about in-office arrangements. I would take a gruelling commute and pointless interruptions in an open office floor plan over quarantine and incompetent leadership any day.
But, of course, it is a false dichotomy. No one is nostalgic about quarantine. The correct framing, in my mind, is flexibility. Alas, there is opportunism in the miscommunication. I share Jean’s disappointment.
So much of this rings true (and burns) as a remote leader before and after COVID. And how $180K ask for a new grad felt for those of us the were around in the DotCom as we struggled to hire and candidates had multiple offers before they could meet with the team. On the bright side, the good news is that some organization who weren't remote/async before March 2020 have made it work and they are still out there. Remote stuck in some places and those are the places you want to work.
I commiserate, and am right there with you Jean. As a parent of older kids, remote work is ideal - the perfect antidote to 50 hour work weeks. I can do the 40
Karl Marx was right when he said, "History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce."
Disclaimer: I've worked in tech in the SF Bay Area since 1989, and I've seen that pendulum roll on a regular basis. Each swing brings elation then shock, hubris then realism. And eventually back again.
I cringed when COVID-era employees cheered at their work-from-anywhere freedoms and holding employers over a financial barrel. I pointed out that the moment you don't have to come into the office is the moment your employer finds better talent for a third of your salary overseas, but nobody wanted to listen when the kombucha was pouring.
I also remember the first dot-bomb in 2001 when I saw workmen removing glass from the office entryway to make room for a Porsche 911 to be wheeled in as a prize to one of 20 keys handed out for referring an engineering hire. My first thought?: "This will end badly." Within 6 months the company no longer existed.
I also remember companies then that pulled fire alarms to force employees in the SOMA streets and change their security badge authorizations as a way of making mass layoffs. Then I saw "Don't Be Evil" Google patting itself on its back for being such a great place to work, and in 2022 suddenly company email logins shut off without notice nor communication. Let alone with any humans. Disappointed,? Yes. Surprised? No.
Accept the things you cannot change. Know that this will happen. The only sane response is to focus on the things you stand for and represent, and wish to support, when both tides rise with the elation of $1M ice sculplture parties and fall with robotic mass beheadings.
The thing that drives me nuts about the return-to-office thing-- I would love to go back into an office if *everyone else was there.* But when I dig in its always hybrid -- so it's back to that nether hell world of having like, 4 people on the team in the office and 2 remote, where meetings have to be on a headset anyway if they're going to work.
So then the "collaboration" is happening online, but I've come into the office anyway so I can... write code under terrible lights while being distracted by office noises?
My plan is to [...] build high-trust teams with a strong people focus. If at some point the tech industry spits me out, I’ll at least know I did what I felt was right.
I feel you on the pain of the many businesses in the tech industry putting profit over people. Or business productivity over people’s mental and physical health. I’m optimistic that those that put people first will win in the long run.
Living a meaningful and fulfilling life is becoming increasingly important for people. More studies are coming out and more people are starting to understand that happiness comes from human warmth and connection. Other people bring us the most happiness; nothing else comes close.
The other trend I’m seeing is more resources and strategies for startups to bootstrap without investors. A key to focusing more on people is avoiding having to beg investors and banks for money in exchange for control and a short runway. Slow, steady growth while maintaining full control and creative freedom is more achievable than ever before.
My small consulting collective operates not-for-profit, earned all its money through paying customers, and has experienced 3-4X growth every year for three years. We’re looking to have the community ownership of the business next year. We also partner with similar businesses aggressively, forming a strong partnership ecosystem to help us compete against bigger companies.
Times are changing in many ways. The wealth gap is growing but so are the tools and ideas for empowering those that want to put people-first.
Sorry, submitted prematurely by accident. I was going to say that 50+ hour weeks are doable as long as I get to pick the hours and fit it to my life and priorities.
Thanks for the article, Jean. I enjoy your writing and appreciate your perspective.
Quarantine was the first experience many people had with a remote working arrangement. It is not surprising that many people think of isolation and loneliness when discussing remote work. Many leaders were unprepared to support their teams during quarantine because many had never led a distributed team. Executive leadership was in a similar boat. Most had (have) no idea what it would take to lead a distributed organization.
I'm no apologist for lazy leadership that can't be bothered to learn what makes their teams tick. I do understand the nostalgia that I hear when some people talk about in-office arrangements. I would take a gruelling commute and pointless interruptions in an open office floor plan over quarantine and incompetent leadership any day.
But, of course, it is a false dichotomy. No one is nostalgic about quarantine. The correct framing, in my mind, is flexibility. Alas, there is opportunism in the miscommunication. I share Jean’s disappointment.
Great article - really thoughtful. Let’s hope this over-correction starts to swing back soon
So much of this rings true (and burns) as a remote leader before and after COVID. And how $180K ask for a new grad felt for those of us the were around in the DotCom as we struggled to hire and candidates had multiple offers before they could meet with the team. On the bright side, the good news is that some organization who weren't remote/async before March 2020 have made it work and they are still out there. Remote stuck in some places and those are the places you want to work.
I commiserate, and am right there with you Jean. As a parent of older kids, remote work is ideal - the perfect antidote to 50 hour work weeks. I can do the 40
Karl Marx was right when he said, "History repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce."
Disclaimer: I've worked in tech in the SF Bay Area since 1989, and I've seen that pendulum roll on a regular basis. Each swing brings elation then shock, hubris then realism. And eventually back again.
I cringed when COVID-era employees cheered at their work-from-anywhere freedoms and holding employers over a financial barrel. I pointed out that the moment you don't have to come into the office is the moment your employer finds better talent for a third of your salary overseas, but nobody wanted to listen when the kombucha was pouring.
I also remember the first dot-bomb in 2001 when I saw workmen removing glass from the office entryway to make room for a Porsche 911 to be wheeled in as a prize to one of 20 keys handed out for referring an engineering hire. My first thought?: "This will end badly." Within 6 months the company no longer existed.
I also remember companies then that pulled fire alarms to force employees in the SOMA streets and change their security badge authorizations as a way of making mass layoffs. Then I saw "Don't Be Evil" Google patting itself on its back for being such a great place to work, and in 2022 suddenly company email logins shut off without notice nor communication. Let alone with any humans. Disappointed,? Yes. Surprised? No.
Accept the things you cannot change. Know that this will happen. The only sane response is to focus on the things you stand for and represent, and wish to support, when both tides rise with the elation of $1M ice sculplture parties and fall with robotic mass beheadings.
The thing that drives me nuts about the return-to-office thing-- I would love to go back into an office if *everyone else was there.* But when I dig in its always hybrid -- so it's back to that nether hell world of having like, 4 people on the team in the office and 2 remote, where meetings have to be on a headset anyway if they're going to work.
So then the "collaboration" is happening online, but I've come into the office anyway so I can... write code under terrible lights while being distracted by office noises?
My plan is to [...] build high-trust teams with a strong people focus. If at some point the tech industry spits me out, I’ll at least know I did what I felt was right.
I'm with you Jean, I'm with you on this matter.
Thanks for this article <3
I'm sorry, but I disagree - working remotely is much more challenging than collaborating in the office.