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You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

paulgraham.com

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Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#41

Post by mindcrime »

pg wrote: post #38
mindcrime wrote: post #24

Or rather, a large organization could only avoid slowing down if they avoided tree structure. And since human nature limits the size of group that can work together, the only way I can imagine for larger groups to avoid tree structure would be to have no structure: to have each group actually be independent, and to work together the way components of a market economy do. That might be worth exploring. I suspect there…

Me too. But the organization doesn't have to be a "firm" in the usual sense...

True, and I'll admit to being lazy in my use of language there. I'm using "firm" and "organization" as though they were completely synonymous. That need not be the case, of course, depending on whose definition of "firm" you use.

Anyway, I find it interesting that Coase argued that firms exist to mitigate transaction costs resulting from imperfect information... and then Downes & Mui argued that digital technology would reduce transaction costs to a point of eliminating the need for large firms, creating what they called "The Law of Diminishing Firms."

So far we haven't seen big corporations fading away, but I still come down on the side of an eventual transition to networks of collaborating (smaller) entities displacing some of the bigger firms.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#42

Post by georgemcbay »

ww520 wrote: post #28

Whether you meant to have a boss or not, one thing I notice when working for myself is this - absolute creative freedom. There is no boss to tell you to finish a project you don't like. There's no boss to tell you to start a project on someone else's idea. There's no boss to tell you to use a certain technology or tool. If you want to suspend a project to pursue another one, no one would stop you. You have complete c…

Complete control over your creative process often results in the Star Wars prequels (or worse). Overrated!

Cleverly working around limitations on your freedom is where the real art is.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#43

Post by deepGem »

alf wrote: post #25
wpietri wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the difference there is that books, computers, cars, and planes are tools that one can choose to work with, rather than a system that one has to work within. More briefly: you use tools, but hierarchical power structures use you. And it's worth noting that Graham is working on creating alternatives ( coughycombinatorcough ), so your grumping seems a little out of place.

Humans also weren't meant to build pyramids, send men to the moon, or write operating systems. Big organizations are needed for big problems. But I do generally agree with the article that big organizations are not the best place to develop as a programmer.

"Big organizations are needed for big problems" - Not necessarily true. Most of the big problems till date have either been solved by a small group of people, or in some case just by individuals.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#44

Post by parfe »

alexro wrote: post #20
techiferous wrote: post #12

What if you agree with this article, you do feel constrained in an unhealthy way by your job in a large organization, but you don't feel that leaving for a small company or startup is an option (or at least not an option anytime soon)? Well, here's a coping skill that can help you. Focus on doing your duty as well as you can, regardless of the context. In other words, imagine your boss says that the web app must be w…

Or alternatively I'd do this: spend as low energy on this absurd project as you can, read about new stuff at your work if you can and grow your normal skills at home. Have a project on a side, help real people to solve real problems. Have no pity when you leave this boss and the company behind.

>spend as low energy on this absurd project as you can, read about new stuff at your work if you can and grow your normal skills at home

If you were any good you'd solve the problem the absurd project was created to solve. Instead you can't solve it so you pretend to be elite by "learning" rather than doing.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#45

Post by sliverstorm »

pg wrote: post #35
alf wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans also weren't meant to build pyramids, send men to the moon, or write operating systems. Big organizations are needed for big problems. But I do generally agree with the article that big organizations are not the best place to develop as a programmer.

Big organizations are needed for big problems. The jury is still out on that one. The trend lately has been in the other direction.

What to you is a "big problem"?

I find myself thinking of SpaceX, which is tackling a real challenge and "big problem". They have, according to Wikipedia, more than 1250 employees.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#46

Post by [deleted] »

pg wrote: post #35
alf wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans also weren't meant to build pyramids, send men to the moon, or write operating systems. Big organizations are needed for big problems. But I do generally agree with the article that big organizations are not the best place to develop as a programmer.

Big organizations are needed for big problems. The jury is still out on that one. The trend lately has been in the other direction.

[deleted]

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#47

Post by noahc »

pg wrote: post #35
alf wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Humans also weren't meant to build pyramids, send men to the moon, or write operating systems. Big organizations are needed for big problems. But I do generally agree with the article that big organizations are not the best place to develop as a programmer.

Big organizations are needed for big problems. The jury is still out on that one. The trend lately has been in the other direction.

It seems plausible to me that "big organizations are needed to scale solutions to big problems."

And, maybe, that's what is meant by Big Organizations are needed for big problems. But, without a solution, you don't really have a need for big organizations. Big organizations can certainly get in the way with finding the solution too.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#48

Post by zipdog »

Small companys have an advantage, but the potential influence of a large organisation suggests that there's a great benefit in size if you can effectively overcome the natural tendency toward stagnation through a tree structure.

I think technology can certainly help an organisation work effectively together with weaker integration, but ultimately a huge portion of it will be culture and personality.

Developing effective technology that assists in the development of the right sort of culture for a fluid, large organisation would be an interesting challenge. I think it might address the same sort of things that 'team building' exercises and retreats usually spectacularly fail at.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#49

Post by a3_nm »

parfe wrote: post #44
alexro wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or alternatively I'd do this: spend as low energy on this absurd project as you can, read about new stuff at your work if you can and grow your normal skills at home. Have a project on a side, help real people to solve real problems. Have no pity when you leave this boss and the company behind.

>spend as low energy on this absurd project as you can, read about new stuff at your work if you can and grow your normal skills at home If you were any good you'd solve the problem the absurd project was created to solve. Instead you can't solve it so you pretend to be elite by "learning" rather than doing.

Your boss tells you to solve the project using the wrong tools. Maybe you would be able to solve it with the right tools, but you're being denied the possibility.

Re: You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss

#50

Post by nostrademons »

GavinB wrote: post #39
wpietri wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the difference there is that books, computers, cars, and planes are tools that one can choose to work with, rather than a system that one has to work within. More briefly: you use tools, but hierarchical power structures use you. And it's worth noting that Graham is working on creating alternatives ( coughycombinatorcough ), so your grumping seems a little out of place.

Is there any successful YC company that doesn't have bosses and employees? There is even a feature on HN designed specifically for bosses to find employees.

There are several that were acqhired when they were just the founders.
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