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Who Needs a Boss?

nytimes.com

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Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#71

Post by learc83 »

TrainedMonkey wrote: post #54
toomuchtodo wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As technology moves forward, all businesses slowly become non-capital intensive businesses.

I beg to disagree, for example finer gate size in microchips requires vastly more investment with each iteration. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock%27s_law

If you look at the semiconductor industry as a whole, it will eventually start to become less capital intensive because (at some point in the future) the vast majority of chips produced will be old generation technology that is "good enough".

There will still be companies trying to push miniscule improvements, but eventually those incremental improvements won't be enough to justify using them over older cheaper technology (for most use cases). We're already getting there by the way-- just look at the number of cheap embedded CPUs with relatively large transistors produced each years.

Say we get to the point, call it x nanometers, where we can't really get any smaller because we've reached physical limitations. 50 years after what will the cost to produce an x nm chip be compared to 50 years before--even if we've moved beyond silicon 50 years later there will still be countless applications capable of being performed by older cheaper technology.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#72

Post by pekk »

paulhauggis wrote: post #66

I work for myself and am my own boss. I have tried starting businesses over the years with many friends and co-workers. None of them worked out. Most people just don't have the discipline to work on something for 8 hours/day without being told what to do. I have also joined many meetup groups for various activities /meeting new people. When a group doesn't have a leader, it pretty much doesn't go anywhere until someo…

Completely agree with your observations. But there's a certain nice quality to the leaders being people who provide genuine energy and guidance rather than people who just claim control and demand things.

In addition to the passive masses, things like meetup groups tend to attract people who want titles or to boss people around or to take credit for things, but at the same time are really not offering anything that is of value to members. (demanders, not providers)

And unfortunately lots of companies are run this way too; the nominal leadership is parasitic and the majority of the constructive force is provided by people who have lower titles, less authority, less control of the environment and don't get credit for anything.

Leaderless isn't great but parasitic "leadership" by demanders isn't either.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#73

Post by wallflower »

aestra wrote: post #17
wallflower wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You might like the story of Bob's Red Mill which was organic before people even were marketed that term. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob's_Red_Mill

I was just going to post about Bob's Red Mill. Bob Moore built a multimillion dollar company and then he transferred ownership of the company (in the form of employee stock) to his employees. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/owner-multi-million-dollar-company-... >Moore said he's gotten countless buy-out offers over the years, but he couldn't envision selling the business to a stranger. >"It's the only business decision that…

Bob Moore speaking last year. Pretty amazing story (There was a fire that destroyed his first mill)

http://vimeo.com/70167461

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#74

Post by jahaja »

paulhauggis wrote: post #66

I work for myself and am my own boss. I have tried starting businesses over the years with many friends and co-workers. None of them worked out. Most people just don't have the discipline to work on something for 8 hours/day without being told what to do. I have also joined many meetup groups for various activities /meeting new people. When a group doesn't have a leader, it pretty much doesn't go anywhere until someo…

So co-ops are against human nature on the basis of your experience? Blimey.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#75

Post by sitkack »

TrainedMonkey wrote: post #54
toomuchtodo wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As technology moves forward, all businesses slowly become non-capital intensive businesses.

I beg to disagree, for example finer gate size in microchips requires vastly more investment with each iteration. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock%27s_law

You are singling out the one thing that allows everything else to shift to software (ie, non-capital). Rock's Aphorism is currently true, but always? I measly mortal can still get chips made at said plants.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#76

Post by sitkack »

forkandwait wrote: post #63

Sort of related, though freakishly religious, are the hutterites: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutterite The colonies are very successful, so much so local farmers have often lobbied successfully to make made them illegal.

We had a hard working Taiwanese family that the locals would disparage as, "taking our jobs" because they all worked, saved their money and bought a restaurant together.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#77

Post by sitkack »

beat wrote: post #31
binxbolling wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except in communism it'd be the community (or, commune) that'd own the business. Since this is worker-owned, it's closer to syndicalism than communism (or socialism).

Lovely bit of history... the anarcho-syndicalists were the third element of the Spanish Civil War. And if there's one thing the fascists and communists could agree on, it was that both hated the anarchists more than they hated each other. Unfortunately, when you organize at the level of a farm or a factory, you're no match for an enemy that can throw 1000 troops at you in order to crush you. Noam Chomsky's history of…

How about something that is a cross between an insurance company an a law firm. A bunch of co-ops could pay in for counsel, the firm would audit each co-op on their legal exposure and set rates.

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#79

Post by [deleted] »

learc83 wrote: post #71
TrainedMonkey wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I beg to disagree, for example finer gate size in microchips requires vastly more investment with each iteration. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock%27s_law

If you look at the semiconductor industry as a whole, it will eventually start to become less capital intensive because (at some point in the future) the vast majority of chips produced will be old generation technology that is "good enough". There will still be companies trying to push miniscule improvements, but eventually those incremental improvements won't be enough to justify using them over older cheaper techn…

[deleted]

Re: Who Needs a Boss?

#80

Post by nnq »

enraged_camel wrote: post #62
RHSeeger wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My "boss" (Tech Manager, really) is there to take care of the things that would be a waste of my time... * Sitting in on meetings of things that might be, and calling me in when he feels my input would be useful * Being a first point of contact for the "customer" when they want to find something out but don't want to poke dev directly (they do poke me directly on occasion when they know it's appropriate) * Being a fi…

This is the exact opposite of my boss. * Sending random IMs to the entire team throughout the day about funny stuff he finds on the Internet "to maintain team cohesion." * Regularly interrupting individual team members and asking them about their projects "to make sure things are getting done and nothing is falling through the cracks." * Nitpicking on small, often inconsequential details as a way of giving "construct…

Do you work for me?
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