Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work • Hacker News Board

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#451

Post by ok_dad » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:15 PM UTC

msmith wrote: post #422

ok_dad wrote: post #357

Everytime a new Commanding Officer (CO) showed up when I was in the Navy we tried to bet which type it was: 1) The kind who investigated the goings-on in the ship, interviewed the officers and chiefs, and learned how the ship was being run, then made small changes over time to optimize the operations based on what they learned. Sometimes big changes in one specific area, if it was required (like fixing the ship's cry…

I wonder if you've read Turn the Ship Around [1]? It's one of my favorite leadership books and tells the true story of the Navy captain who was put in the awkward position of running a submarine class that he was not familiar with. He adapted to the situation by leaning on the expertise of the crew in a way that was very different than the normal command-and-control style of leadership. It sounds like what you descri…

Yea, the Navy has basically fostered a shit culture that turned the leadership into MBA-style bullshit artists today. Leadership isn't taken seriously, just promotions and personal gain. Only those who kiss ass can make it in today's Navy.

If more leaders like this guy who wrote this book were sent to the top levels, it would be an improvement. Instead, you notice he's writing books for a living now.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#452

Post by fdgsdfogijq » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:16 PM UTC

SkyPuncher wrote: post #313

VLM wrote: post #269

Interesting strategic window: You can't innovate and software engineer using 1950s style "butts in seats". Maybe this is a signal twitter isn't going to innovate, develop, and maybe even operate, internally, at least going forward. You need code for a new feature? Buy a startup that already wrote it. You need to keep something running? Contract out instead of employees. Very few companies have a full time plumber or…

What has Twitter innovated on in the past decade? While I don't agree with the way Elon has been making this move, it's sure looking like he's trying to clear the place out so he can establish a new culture. These policy changes are likely to scare mobile, top-performers off to other companies. This likely clears out a lot of internal dissent and heal digging to make room for new "top performers". I wouldn't be shock…

I agree, high performers can actually damage innovation by stopping it. Since they own major systems, they control how and what gets done.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#453

Post by Invictus0 » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:16 PM UTC

batter wrote: post #391

slg wrote: post #208

Let's say you run a company and you want to reduce staff. Let's also say you want to make an unpopular decision (or multiple unpopular decisions) that you know will drive a certain percentage of your staff to leave the company. Wouldn't it make the most sense to announce those decisions before making layoffs? Let people self select whether they want to stay and work for you and then make your layoffs after to ensure…

Quoted post unavailable.

The video was satire

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#454

Post by usefulcat » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:16 PM UTC

chson wrote: post #417

ok_dad wrote: post #357

Everytime a new Commanding Officer (CO) showed up when I was in the Navy we tried to bet which type it was: 1) The kind who investigated the goings-on in the ship, interviewed the officers and chiefs, and learned how the ship was being run, then made small changes over time to optimize the operations based on what they learned. Sometimes big changes in one specific area, if it was required (like fixing the ship's cry…

and generally acted like they owned the place To be fair, he actually does own the place.

ownership != operational knowledge

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#455

Post by iwillbenice » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:16 PM UTC

ok_dad wrote: post #357

Everytime a new Commanding Officer (CO) showed up when I was in the Navy we tried to bet which type it was: 1) The kind who investigated the goings-on in the ship, interviewed the officers and chiefs, and learned how the ship was being run, then made small changes over time to optimize the operations based on what they learned. Sometimes big changes in one specific area, if it was required (like fixing the ship's cry…

No post body was provided.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#456

Post by smeagull » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:17 PM UTC

Seems like you'd end remote work before firing everybody, because now you have no idea if you're going to be able to keep the people you thought you could.

If you were planning these moves of course.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#457

Post by A4ET8a8uTh0 » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:17 PM UTC

I said before: "His company. He can do whatever he wants."

That said, good luck with all that Elon.

Unless the goal is to sink Twitter down, in which case it is a brilliant move, there is zero reason for RTO.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#458

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:18 PM UTC

IG_Semmelweiss wrote: post #437

ok_dad wrote: post #357

Everytime a new Commanding Officer (CO) showed up when I was in the Navy we tried to bet which type it was: 1) The kind who investigated the goings-on in the ship, interviewed the officers and chiefs, and learned how the ship was being run, then made small changes over time to optimize the operations based on what they learned. Sometimes big changes in one specific area, if it was required (like fixing the ship's cry…

>>>>> and generally acted like they owned the place this is the $44B problem to your CO analogy. Skin in the game. The world runs far better on it.

[deleted]

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#459

Post by deltree7 » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:19 PM UTC

baxtr wrote: post #447

IG_Semmelweiss wrote: post #437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>>>> and generally acted like they owned the place this is the $44B problem to your CO analogy. Skin in the game. The world runs far better on it.

Nah. He doesn’t own twitter like you own a house. People can just quit and leave. In fact a CO might be in better position in that regard. Soldiers don’t quit as fast as devs.

There will be plenty of devs desperate for work as large companies cuts a significant portion of the work.

Bottomline, the last time tech truly saw a recession and slow-down was in 2001. So, the entire dev cohort has never seen economic conditions that they are about to face.

Even high performers at Meta, Coinbase, Netflix will have to navigate this.

There are two choices in front of them

a) work at Twitter and other startups which requires 60+ hours of work. High workload / High Reward

or

b) Join services firm like IBM, TCS and have work-life balance but do menial tasks with steady but medium pay.

Elon Musk will have no trouble hiring them.

Most devs are completely out of touch about the economic reality. Now they have to work hard like the rest of other industries.

Re: Musk’s first email to Twitter staff ends remote work

#460

Post by thordenmark » Thu, Nov 10, 2022, 9:20 PM UTC

ok_dad wrote: post #357

Everytime a new Commanding Officer (CO) showed up when I was in the Navy we tried to bet which type it was: 1) The kind who investigated the goings-on in the ship, interviewed the officers and chiefs, and learned how the ship was being run, then made small changes over time to optimize the operations based on what they learned. Sometimes big changes in one specific area, if it was required (like fixing the ship's cry…

A better analogy is Twitter is a sick and dying patient and drastic measures are needed to be taken to save it. Whether or not you agree with those measures, well you don't have $44b on the line. Of all of Elon's businesses, this one is probably the most in his wheelhouse. He's a web guy after all.