

Is this a good way to run a software company?  [13 min vid] - rguzman
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gG3HPX0D2mU

======
pmorici
Ha, I think this is great. People actually being expected to produce instead
of just warming the chair from 9-5. I find the part of this video amusing
where they are talking about how they encourage everyone to use a different
desk everyday so that managers have a hard time monitoring them. I suspect
this makes the manager focus on the important thing. That being the quality of
the employee's actual work. Unfortunately so often people default to using a
persons work schedule to determine performance because it is easier to look up
from your game of solitaire every morning at 9 and check a desk than it is to
actually understand what each individual does and it's value (or lack there
of) to the organization.

------
flyhighplato
I think it must get harder to run a company that way when you get a lot more
employees. Once you become just another face in the crowd, there's not as much
social pressure on you. The system might break down there.

I mean, I'd love to work in a place like that. And I'm sure lots of others
would. After all, many of us are altruistic and hard-working people, which
would work great in a culture like that.

~~~
Hates_
Semco have over a thousand employees. I think in such a large organisation,
it's a great system, because everyone is accountable. I think that the
opposite of becoming another face in the crowd happens under Semler's system.
You answer to those around you, rather then those ten floors up.

~~~
andreyf
According to the video in the link rguzman below, Semco has 5,000 employees.

According to the title on this, page, however, they might be looking for
sysadmins:

<http://semco.locaweb.com.br/en/content.asp?content=1>

------
rguzman
It seems to me that if a company which manufactures a "solid product" can be
run that way it must be possible to run a software company this way.

An interview with Semler: <http://youtube.com/watch?v=gJkOPxJCN1w>

------
meat-eater
It really depends on the quality of people you have. This is a really nice way
to run a company. But for it to work, you need to get employees that care and
are willing to do their fair share for the company.

~~~
rguzman
Obviously. But in a software company, specially a startup, if you don't have
good people you were doomed before you started.

On the other hand, the whole democracy thing and the employees having stake on
the company may even take care of or at least counter balance having bad
people.

------
Hates_
I highly recommend his book Maverick.

~~~
rguzman
Thank you. I've been meaning to read _something_ by him but haven't put any
thought into which book I should start with. I care mostly that it goes into
detail about implementing what he preaches and keeps the pontificating to a
minimum.

