The hottest Corporate culture Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

How Google Blew Up Its Open Culture and Compromised Its Product

Big Technology • 16387 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
💼 Business Corporate culture Product Development Leadership Tech industry
  1. Google's open culture deteriorated, impacting its product quality and employee morale.
  2. Issues began when Google shut down discussions on sensitive topics like diversity and employee concerns.
  3. The closure of open channels for questioning within Google led to a negative impact on the company's innovation and decision-making processes.

The Nationalization of Boeing Begins

BIG by Matt Stoller • 43431 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
💼 Business Management Labor relations Government intervention Corporate culture Financial impact
  1. There is growing discontent and criticism towards Boeing's management from various stakeholders like Wall Street, labor unions, customers, and regulators.
  2. Major Boeing customers like Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are publicly holding Boeing accountable for quality issues and demanding reimbursement, indicating a significant shift in the industry's code of silence about problems.
  3. The government, particularly the FAA, has taken actions against Boeing and is showing signs of increasing regulation, potentially leading towards a moment where Boeing's management structure may face significant changes.

The Insufferable Bros Who Run Corporate America

BIG by Matt Stoller • 56953 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
💼 Business Monopolies Corporate culture Antitrust enforcement Pharmaceutical industry Marketing
  1. The pharmaceutical industry is heavily influenced by aggressive marketing campaigns targeted at doctors, controlled by corporations like IQVIA.
  2. IQVIA, a major player in the healthcare industry, is involved in a trial over a merger that could impact the future of advertising to healthcare professionals.
  3. The FTC alleges that IQVIA's acquisition of advertising firms like DeepIntent could lead to a monopolization of the healthcare provider advertising platform market.

Japan isn't quite "back", but it has a fighting chance

Noahpinion • 11000 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Economic Policy Defense Immigration Industrial Policy Corporate culture
  1. Japan's stock market is rallying due to foreign investment, but the real economy is struggling with recession and weak manufacturing and exports.
  2. Japan is increasing defense spending and bringing in foreign workers to address labor shortages, however, concerns remain about assimilation and potential backlash.
  3. Japan needs to focus on reclaiming its position in key industries like electronics, developing a software industry and EVs, and reforming its corporate culture to boost economic growth.

Google’s Woke AI Wasn’t a Mistake. We Know. We Were There.

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2040 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
💼 Business Corporate culture Diversity Bias Tech industry
  1. Google's new AI tool, Gemini, produced biased results in image searches, reflecting the larger issue of the company's culture prioritizing ideologies over excellence.
  2. Former Google employees, including high-profile individuals like Shaun Maguire, expressed concerns over Google's push for diversity, equity, and inclusion leading to compromises in quality and standards.
  3. The fallout from the Gemini AI debacle at Google highlighted the importance of balancing inclusivity with maintaining product quality and unbiased information for users.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Of falling door plugs and missing bolts and holes in fuselages and 737 Max 9's

Lucian Truscott Newsletter • 3655 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Aerospace Manufacturing Corporate culture Quality control
  1. Private equity in aircraft manufacturing can lead to cost-cutting measures that compromise safety.
  2. Recent accidents involving Boeing 737 models point to potential flaws in design and manufacturing processes.
  3. Pressure to speed up production in the aviation industry can result in quality control issues and safety risks.

What I Read This Week...

chamathreads • 2162 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Microplastics Corporate culture COVID-19
  1. Kids are hitting puberty sooner due to various factors like obesity, stress, and chemicals in plastics.
  2. Massive amounts of tiny plastics are being found in bottled drinking water, raising concerns about health risks.
  3. Corporate culture wars are emerging as a significant business risk in 2024 due to opposition from officials and activists.

Ralph Nader Looks Ahead, at Age 90. What He Sees Is Not What You'd Expect.

Breaking the News • 474 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Leadership Entrepreneurship Business Ethics Corporate culture
  1. Ralph Nader, at age 90, surprises with a new book 'The Rebellious CEO' showcasing leaders who use their influence for good in business, workers' treatment, and environmental policy.
  2. The book has a chatty and personal tone, highlighting the importance of individuals making a positive impact and how small groups can bring meaningful change.
  3. Rebellious CEOs featured in the book prioritize fair treatment of workers and consumers, environmental responsibility, clear communication, and excellence in business without overpaying themselves or whining about regulations.

The Last Call of the Corporate Peacock🦚

Workforce Futurist by Andy Spence • 293 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Workforce Trends Corporate culture Financial Crisis
  1. Leaders bring workers back to the office to showcase dominance and status through Corporate Peacocking.
  2. Some companies resort to cringe-inducing tactics like threatening employees through internal videos to justify return-to-office mandates.
  3. RTO policies might represent a last attempt by leaders to assert control as industries adapt, city leases expire, and virtual realms replace in-person office displays.

How a culture fail ruined Boeing

Make Work Better • 114 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
💼 Business Leadership Employment Corporate culture Productivity Economic Growth
  1. Boeing failed multiple safety tests, leading to accidents and loss of lives, due to a shift towards prioritizing stock price over quality
  2. A strong corporate culture requires aligning stated values with actual behaviors, empowering employees to make decisions based on those values
  3. Businesses that lose sight of their purpose and focus solely on chasing money risk facing significant organizational failures

Hell is other people: performance management at Big Tech

lcamtuf’s thing • 282 HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Tech Companies Promotions Corporate culture
  1. Performance management at Big Tech companies can cause anxiety and stress among employees due to the focus on fairness and comparison with peers.
  2. Tech companies like Google have introduced peer-based performance evaluations to enhance fairness and transparency.
  3. Despite efforts to create more egalitarian performance management processes, the actual outcomes often involve bland feedback and reliance on managers for decisions.

Stop Arguing, Start Debating

The Breaking Point • 235 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
💼 Business Team Dynamics Decision-making Corporate culture
  1. Debating involves prepared discussions, clear decision-making frameworks, and open-mindedness to change opinions.
  2. Arguing results in repetitive discussions, lack of agreement, side factions, and revisiting decisions without objective reasoning.
  3. Monitoring if a team is debating or arguing is crucial to ensure effective teamwork and progress towards goals.

Boeing Stock Rallies Along With Employee Suicide Rates in What Wall Street Is Calling “The Greatest Workforce Reduction Since Last Quarter”

Davidovits! • 59 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business Stock Market Corporate culture Investor Relations
  1. Boeing stock is rising despite a surge in employee suicide rates, leading to a significant reduction in workforce and more profits
  2. Boeing leadership's controversial approach includes encouraging employees to end their lives to maximize profits, which is drawing criticism from economists
  3. Investors are pleased with Boeing's focus on reducing workforce and increasing profits, showcasing the unusual inverse correlation between employee happiness and financial gains

What can we learn from Spotify layoffs?

Alex Ewerlöf Notes • 255 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business Efficiency Leadership Market Dynamics Corporate culture
  1. Spotify's layoffs serve as a warning for other companies, especially those that have grown rapidly and may need to optimize operations.
  2. Layoffs are often caused by a combination of external factors like market conditions and internal factors like fake work and lack of alignment.
  3. It's critical for companies to focus on meaningful value creation and avoid falling into traps like bureaucracy, fake work, and fragmented responsibilities.

Living Evil: Unearthed Bodies And Sacrificial Lambs

Richard Lewis • 1906 implied HN points • 17 May 23
💼 Business Ethics Leadership Management Work Environment Corporate culture
  1. Multiple reports of harassment and misconduct by key figures in the esports industry were brought to light, leading to their termination.
  2. New management at Evil Geniuses used past incidents involving employees as excuses to remove them, while also driving out senior employees who challenged their decisions.
  3. The company culture at Evil Geniuses shifted dramatically after the departure of senior staff, leading to a challenging and unbearable work environment.

"A Problem With Authority"—The Person You Think You Are Punching May Not Exist

72 Degrees North • 58 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
💼 Business Management Workplace dynamics Corporate culture Bureaucracy Hierarchy
  1. There may not be people who inherently have a problem with authority, it could be a construct created by workplace environments.
  2. Disobeying authority doesn't necessarily stem from resistance to orders, but could be rooted in impatience, arrogance, or ego.
  3. Corporate hierarchy and authority can sometimes be arbitrary and driven by societal norms rather than individual merit or charisma.

The Barber Ranen Blowup: 'The Worst Emails I've Ever Seen'

Original Jurisdiction • 550 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
💼 Business Corporate culture Public Relations
  1. The emails sent by John Barber and Jeff Ranen were shockingly offensive, sparking a scandal in the legal profession.
  2. Barber and Ranen resigned from the firm Barber Ranen after the offensive emails were revealed, impacting their future in the legal field.
  3. Lewis Brisbois faced criticism for the offensive emails being sent by former partners while in leadership positions, leading to changes within the firm.

Intellectual Laziness

MD&A • 404 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
💼 Business Finance Management Strategy Corporate culture Accounting
  1. Intellectual laziness can lead to catastrophic corporate failures, as seen in the case of GE and SVB.
  2. Managers who prioritize manipulating short-term earnings over creating long-term shareholder value are intellectually lazy.
  3. Intellectual rigor is essential in identifying underrated managers and avoiding overrated ones.

Towards a new Golden Generation

Japan Optimist • 216 implied HN points • 24 Jul 23
💼 Business Workforce Economics Jobs Corporate culture Labor Market
  1. Japan's young generation is set to be economically better off than their parents due to demographic changes.
  2. As labor supply decreases, wages and job quality are increasing in Japan, leading to a rise in full-time job creation.
  3. There is a shift in Japan towards valuing and investing in human capital as the country moves towards a new golden age for its young generation.

EXIT

Becoming Noble • 299 implied HN points • 26 May 23
💼 Business Corporate culture Career development Entrepreneurship
  1. The EXIT project aims to end reliance on corporate employment by providing various support systems and resources.
  2. Consider spending time at elite progressive institutions to learn and transition to a place of independent strength.
  3. Listen to the podcast for insights on how dissidents can use big tech companies as a launching point for their ambitions.

Splitting Versus Blending: An AI-Inspired Theory of Neurotypical Advantage

72 Degrees North • 19 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Social Behavior Corporate culture Autism
  1. Neurodiversity includes a range of communication styles, each with unique advantages and disadvantages.
  2. Allistic individuals tend to blend multiple possibilities in social interactions, which can lead to quicker decision-making but also vulnerability to manipulation.
  3. Psychopaths may exploit neurodivergent and neurotypical social tendencies for personal gain, highlighting the importance of understanding and navigating various communication styles.

Japan Reality Check #4: In praise of the Salaryman CEO

Japan Optimist • 176 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
💼 Business Leadership Corporate culture Performance Profitability
  1. Japanese Salaryman CEOs have shown extraordinary resilience and competence in delivering corporate economic value and profitability.
  2. Data shows that Japanese Salaryman CEOs have outperformed Wall Street Superstar CEOs in terms of profit increase without relying on rising sales.
  3. While Japanese Salaryman CEOs have significantly increased profits, their compensation has only risen modestly, maintaining a close link between performance and pay.

Compromise is the only way to make hybrid stick

Make Work Better • 157 implied HN points • 05 May 23
💼 Business Workplace dynamics Remote work Corporate culture AI Impact
  1. Compromise is essential to make hybrid work successfully in organizations.
  2. Stricter office time policies are being implemented by some organizations to foster teamwork and connectedness among employees.
  3. Younger workers may be facing challenges with remote work, such as lack of feedback and understanding workplace norms.

How To Lose Customers & Alienate People

Build To Scale • 59 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Management Leadership Customer Relations Investment Corporate culture
  1. Talk to customers and employees, but don't bother listening. Just talk about your vision and plans without engaging in meaningful conversations.
  2. Don't shy away from bad news and blame it on employees. Overreact publicly, especially to junior staff, to discourage them from sharing any negative news.
  3. Focus on competitors, raise money, surround yourself with yes-men, disregard customer needs, and prioritize optics over actual performance if you want to lose touch with your business and alienate people.

The End of ESG?

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 98 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
💼 Business Investing Corporate culture Global Economy
  1. BlackRock's Larry Fink disowns the term ESG due to its weaponization by different political sides, showing a shift in the discourse in the financial system.
  2. Investors are becoming more critical of woke ideologies impacting businesses, as seen in stock losses by companies embracing certain ideologies.
  3. The potential rebranding of ESG indicates a shift in focus but doesn't eliminate the underlying goals of corporate influence and control.

Jack Welch's Theory of Leadership: A Model for Failure in the 21st Century

The Geek Way • 1 HN point • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Leadership Corporate culture Management Success Change Management
  1. Encouraging vulnerability in the workplace can lead to malingering, which can harm cooperation within a team.
  2. Model 1 leadership norms, like taking charge and minimizing losing, may not be suitable for running a modern company that requires adaptation to change.
  3. Defensiveness in Model 1 leadership can hinder innovation and prevent companies from thriving in a rapidly changing business landscape.

The Company Wants You Back in the Office – RESIST!

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 39 implied HN points • 06 Feb 23
💼 Business Workplace dynamics Remote work Corporate culture Labor Market
  1. Many employees prefer working from home for the flexibility it offers in their lives and are hesitant to return to the office for multiple days per week.
  2. Companies are facing challenges convincing workers to return to the office due to changing preferences and economic factors like labor shortages.
  3. Employees have some leverage to resist returning to the office and should consider continuing to work from home to maintain their independence and strength.

Why you are frustrated by your organisation

Optimally Irrational • 13 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
💼 Business Management Corporate culture Ethics Workplace dynamics Incentives
  1. Beneath the overly positive facade of organizations, there's often a reality of dysfunction and disillusionment.
  2. The principal-agent problem highlights the conflict of interests between individuals and the organization's goals, leading to misaligned incentives.
  3. Managers can prioritize personal gains, reputation, and short-term benefits over the organization's success, perpetuating issues like hyperactivity and micromanagement.

How to be an effective leader [StoryTime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 59 implied HN points • 16 Oct 22
💼 Business Leadership Technology Management Decision-making Corporate culture
  1. The article discusses insights from senior leaders in tech about decision-making skills and leadership abilities.
  2. It mentions the importance of learning about experiences, processes, and common motifs from successful leaders.
  3. The post is beneficial for developers aiming for career growth, managers seeking to enhance their skills, and those interested in high-level team dynamics.