Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expects them to do work

Re:Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expect... by not2b on Wednesday September 14, 2022 @08:50PM (#32845583)

IBM still has a research group.

Sometimes hiring great researchers and letting them do what they want pays off.

AT&T I believe kept a research group for much longer than that and they only invented or co-invented the transistor, the laser, radio astronomy, information theory, Unix, the C language, and the photovoltaic cell.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expect... by brutusborn on Wednesday September 14, 2022 @09:13PM (#32845753)

My understanding was that Bell labs was full of researchers from wartime labs. These researchers were used to freedom, quick iteration and a focus on application to wartime efforts.

I think it would be hard to replicate this with modern day researchers. There just isn't the same pressure or importance that wartime provides.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expect... by trelane on Wednesday September 14, 2022 @08:59PM (#32845654)

> Sometimes hiring great researchers and letting them do what they want pays off

Almost like research is not a guaranteed thing. Kinda like you're trying to figure out the unknown.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expect... by not2b on Wednesday September 14, 2022 @09:05PM (#32845700)

So is venture capitalism; it's expected that most bets don't pay off and money is made because, if the VC makes good choices, some will pay off hugely. I think it's a matter of hiring the right people and managing them well.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google employees alarmed that the company suddenly expect... by trelane on Wednesday September 14, 2022 @09:17PM (#32845787)

in my experience, management is the problem rather than a hello, let alone the solution

[ Parent | on HN ]