Do a Google Image search for "atari breakout"

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Re: Do a Google Image search for "atari breakout"

#31

Post by IgorPartola » Tue, May 14, 2013, 5:06 PM UTC

hk__2 wrote: post #30

IgorPartola wrote: post #25

This stuff is both great and depressing. The problem is that some companies, like Google, 37signals, etc. let their workers do these kinds of projects. Yes, some of them will bring those companies more customers, but the reality is that it's not clear if the hours put into this type of thing will ever pay off. Despite that, these companies can afford to have 20% time, or whatever it is, and let their employees mess a…

This is not new, in the 1950s HP and 3M employees had respectively 10% and 15% time. The post-it was invented during this 15% time at 3M. http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2012/08/today-is-goof-off-a...

That makes sense. And I'm sure a ton of time was spent on things that never saw the light of day. I guess my view on it is that if you want to run a lean startup, X% time is going to work against you. Once you are the size of Google, Amazon, HP, or 3M, then go for it. Otherwise, your startup is your X% time.

This gets tricky with companies that are no longer startups, but are not the 800 lb gorilla in their space either. Do you derive more efficiency from fostering X% time, or by getting your team to focus on the problem at hand?

I suppose that in the end, if your team is unhappy with the overall direction of your company, throwing them an occasional carrot will not fix things. You need to actually fix the underlying problem.

Re: Do a Google Image search for "atari breakout"

#32

Post by lloeki » Tue, May 14, 2013, 5:24 PM UTC

IgorPartola wrote: post #25

This stuff is both great and depressing. The problem is that some companies, like Google, 37signals, etc. let their workers do these kinds of projects. Yes, some of them will bring those companies more customers, but the reality is that it's not clear if the hours put into this type of thing will ever pay off. Despite that, these companies can afford to have 20% time, or whatever it is, and let their employees mess a…

Just like people dream of rock star programmers, instead of focusing on the miracle projects that people are supposed to produce in this 20% "mess-around" time (which is not, by definition, messing around if you expect them to actually produce something reliably) maybe one should focus on the value added to the individuals.

Messing around with a new framework or some prototype in your current language of choice means that you won't be (or won't have to) trying some new stuff on a production-class project. As an individual it is a great opportunity to hone your skills and knowledge, and help find the fun again in what could otherwise be a bland job.

This is actually iteration zero of a project, dedicated not to hopeful production of worthwhile deliverables, but production of the minds that will make (other) projects happen. Because when you will start working on iteration one of a new project, a new feature, then it is too late to mess around.

It just happens that sometimes great things could come out, but they're a statistical oddity.

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