Masters of Scale Innovation is managed chaos, w/Eric Schmidt of Google/Alphabet
Jan 19, 2021
In this enlightening conversation, Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google and chairman of Alphabet, shares his expertise in managing chaos to drive innovation. He discusses the powerful '20% time' policy that allowed employees to pursue personal projects, leading to groundbreaking products like Gmail. Schmidt highlights the importance of fostering collaboration and constructive disagreement in leadership. He also draws amusing parallels between managing a tech giant and piloting a small aircraft, along with a quirky tale about office dynamics at Google.
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Episode notes
The Unexpected Roommate
- Eric Schmidt's first day at Google involved an unexpected roommate, Amit.
- This led to a discovery of the power of data analytics within Google.
Insubordination and Innovation
- A degree of insubordination can foster innovation at Google, as seen with Eric and Amit.
- Organic conversations in unexpected places drive creative ideas.
Managing the Chaos
- To encourage innovation, manage chaos rather than suppress it.
- Allow employees to explore wild ideas through experimentation.