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The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results
In this "handbook for disruptors" (Eric Schmidt), The Geek Way reveals a new way to get big things done. It will change the way you think about work, teams, projects, and culture, and give you the insight and tools you need to harness our human superpowers of learning and cooperation. What is “being geeky?” It’s being a perennially curious person, one who's not afraid to tackle hard problems and embrace unconventional solutions. McAfee shows how the geeks have created a new culture based around four science, ownership, speed, and openness. The geek way seems odd at first. It's not deferential to experts, fond of planning and process, afraid of mistakes, or obsessed with "winning." But it explains everything from why Montessori babies turn out to be creative tinkerers to how newcomers are disrupting industry after industry (and still just getting started).
When all four norms are in place, a culture emerges that is freewheeling, fast-moving, egalitarian, evidence-driven, argumentative, and autonomous. Why does the geek way work so much better? McAfee provides an original because it taps into humanity's superpower, which is our ability to cooperate intensely and learn rapidly. By providing insights from the young discipline of cultural evolution, McAfee shows that when we come together under the right conditions, we quickly figure out how to build reusable spaceships and self-correcting organizations. Under the wrong conditions, though, we create bureaucracy, chronic delays, cultures of silence, and the other classic dysfunctions of the Industrial Era.
Mixing cutting-edge science, history, analysis, and stories that show the geek way in action, McAfee offers a new way to see the world and empowering tools for seizing the big opportunities of today and tomorrow.
When all four norms are in place, a culture emerges that is freewheeling, fast-moving, egalitarian, evidence-driven, argumentative, and autonomous. Why does the geek way work so much better? McAfee provides an original because it taps into humanity's superpower, which is our ability to cooperate intensely and learn rapidly. By providing insights from the young discipline of cultural evolution, McAfee shows that when we come together under the right conditions, we quickly figure out how to build reusable spaceships and self-correcting organizations. Under the wrong conditions, though, we create bureaucracy, chronic delays, cultures of silence, and the other classic dysfunctions of the Industrial Era.
Mixing cutting-edge science, history, analysis, and stories that show the geek way in action, McAfee offers a new way to see the world and empowering tools for seizing the big opportunities of today and tomorrow.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 5, 2023
McAfee, an author of many tech books, now puts the culture of successful companies in front of us. He asserts that the culture of speed, openness and other elements provide the medium for growth. He provides data to support his claim, which I’ll discuss below. While the author claims this new way of operating companies started in the 2000s, and is codified in a Netflix presentation openly shared with everyone, he also says that the crux of the Geek Way is found in a stack of business books sky-high. Which probably would include “Creativity Inc.” by Ed Catmull about Pixar’s culture. McAfee’s experience makes this a fun read, but for those of us who have read the mile-high stack of business books about cultures of mutual trust—competence, reliability/dependability, openness, acceptance (of failure in particular) and integrity—and driving accountability, responsibility and creativity will hardly learn much here. We would have seen similar things in Deming’s work, the culture of Westinghouse’s Hawthorne Works operations from the 1920s and 1930s, famous Skunkwork developments for World War II, high-reliability/high-performance military and civil operations teams, and so on. Much of McAfee’s advice can be found in “Built to Last” by Collins and Porras. Or McFarland’s “The Breakthrough Company” for the small- or medium-sized enterprises.
Like many other business books, McAfee’s suffers from a lack of contradictory evidence. He and others can write about the 10-50 successful companies practicing the Geek Way. He cannot or does not uncover if there are thousands of companies practicing the Geek Way outside of Silicon Valley, outside of tech, and how successful or not they are. There may be many that don’t succeed. How many tech startups have died, and yet had a Geek Way culture? How many other business failures—and the number is staggering in the first five years of any one business—weren’t prevented by the Geek Way? We may never know because Harvard Business School—of which McAfee had been a faculty member—cannot tell us. There isn’t a database for this.
While he applauds the social aspects of Geek companies—cultural evolution—he neglects some of the complaints that have happened even inside his star companies. There’s still tribalism in society and in tech companies: gender, race, caste are still obstacles to hearing and accepting another’s input or feedback. While constructive debate might be healthy, psychological safety can be key as McAfee points out. Still different personality types and different inherent motivational bases need different communication environments, methods and venues for safety and overcoming timidity. Ethical failures have also occurred in Geek Way companies. Maybe in a few decades we’ll know if Geek Way companies are “built to last.”
The author avoids the trap of multiple anecdotes masquerading as data. However, McAfee fails to discern the quality of the data he includes. For example he touts a study of GlassDoor comments. GlassDoor surveys are self-selected, not random. This has an inherent bias towards the theoretical ends of company-culture distributions: the really bad and the really good. So we know nothing of the cultures—perhaps some operating in the Geek Way—of the middlingly rated, middlingly successful companies.
While there are some inherent flaws in McAfee’s approach—but not unique for business books—his work can be important for those who need to hear and want to hear how the successful tech companies are thriving.
Like many other business books, McAfee’s suffers from a lack of contradictory evidence. He and others can write about the 10-50 successful companies practicing the Geek Way. He cannot or does not uncover if there are thousands of companies practicing the Geek Way outside of Silicon Valley, outside of tech, and how successful or not they are. There may be many that don’t succeed. How many tech startups have died, and yet had a Geek Way culture? How many other business failures—and the number is staggering in the first five years of any one business—weren’t prevented by the Geek Way? We may never know because Harvard Business School—of which McAfee had been a faculty member—cannot tell us. There isn’t a database for this.
While he applauds the social aspects of Geek companies—cultural evolution—he neglects some of the complaints that have happened even inside his star companies. There’s still tribalism in society and in tech companies: gender, race, caste are still obstacles to hearing and accepting another’s input or feedback. While constructive debate might be healthy, psychological safety can be key as McAfee points out. Still different personality types and different inherent motivational bases need different communication environments, methods and venues for safety and overcoming timidity. Ethical failures have also occurred in Geek Way companies. Maybe in a few decades we’ll know if Geek Way companies are “built to last.”
The author avoids the trap of multiple anecdotes masquerading as data. However, McAfee fails to discern the quality of the data he includes. For example he touts a study of GlassDoor comments. GlassDoor surveys are self-selected, not random. This has an inherent bias towards the theoretical ends of company-culture distributions: the really bad and the really good. So we know nothing of the cultures—perhaps some operating in the Geek Way—of the middlingly rated, middlingly successful companies.
While there are some inherent flaws in McAfee’s approach—but not unique for business books—his work can be important for those who need to hear and want to hear how the successful tech companies are thriving.
May 22, 2024
A review at the request of my friend John:
First, this is a book that could have been a blog post. Nothing discussed required the quantity of words that was given.
Second, the author seems to believe he is introducing new and revolutionary concepts about how people work, indicating that science has just recently enabled us to understand these things. In fact, many of his ideas around how people unite around a vision and work effectively together are not new. Much of what came to mind for me pertained to personal and group formation which religious organizations have known and practiced for millennia. These concepts are not revolutionary, even in business contexts.
Third, McAfee talks a lot about culture and norms without ever addressing the deeper issue of articulated and unarticulated values. He says that we are shaped by our norms more than by what we love/hate. I would argue that the exact opposite is true: our norms are shaped by our loves and if those things seem in conflict then perhaps we need to examine and articulate what exactly it is that we love or are working for. In business contexts, we may articulate a lofty altruistic goal, but in really our primary pursuit is profits and power. Leaders must understand how these dynamics shape an organization.
The author’s failure to address the deeper cultural incentives that drive an organization frequently conflicted with my personal hopes for organizations to which I belong. For example, I am all for data driven decision making but the author paints such decision-making processes as necessarily combative. I would rather a workplace based on respect and trust with a shared commitment to excellence informed by data and scientific experimentation. Others may disagree with me on the author’s posture in these sessions, but that was my take.
TL;DR there are a lot better books out there than this one to help you move your organization toward a more open and efficient culture.
First, this is a book that could have been a blog post. Nothing discussed required the quantity of words that was given.
Second, the author seems to believe he is introducing new and revolutionary concepts about how people work, indicating that science has just recently enabled us to understand these things. In fact, many of his ideas around how people unite around a vision and work effectively together are not new. Much of what came to mind for me pertained to personal and group formation which religious organizations have known and practiced for millennia. These concepts are not revolutionary, even in business contexts.
Third, McAfee talks a lot about culture and norms without ever addressing the deeper issue of articulated and unarticulated values. He says that we are shaped by our norms more than by what we love/hate. I would argue that the exact opposite is true: our norms are shaped by our loves and if those things seem in conflict then perhaps we need to examine and articulate what exactly it is that we love or are working for. In business contexts, we may articulate a lofty altruistic goal, but in really our primary pursuit is profits and power. Leaders must understand how these dynamics shape an organization.
The author’s failure to address the deeper cultural incentives that drive an organization frequently conflicted with my personal hopes for organizations to which I belong. For example, I am all for data driven decision making but the author paints such decision-making processes as necessarily combative. I would rather a workplace based on respect and trust with a shared commitment to excellence informed by data and scientific experimentation. Others may disagree with me on the author’s posture in these sessions, but that was my take.
TL;DR there are a lot better books out there than this one to help you move your organization toward a more open and efficient culture.
April 1, 2024
Basically we should have all gone to Montessori schools 🤭
But also, I did learn a lot about the consultative geek way of running a business.
This book is a great tool for managers and business owners to have in their arsenal.
But also, I did learn a lot about the consultative geek way of running a business.
This book is a great tool for managers and business owners to have in their arsenal.
April 6, 2024
3.5 some bits were really interesting and told well but other parts were interminable and repetitive. Also ‘homo socialis’ is not ‘a thing’ and the author’s insistence on trying to make it one drive me bananas!
February 1, 2024
This book drones on about evolution a little bit more than I would have liked. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the commentary on geeky companies and how they are achieving such great success.
May 5, 2024
4.5 round up. The book gets repetitive at times (particularly first 2 chapters). The thesis however is well presented and exemplified. Lots of good ideas to chew on.
Recommended!
Recommended!
January 27, 2024
Cute book, but too BS-heavy. A fun collection of Silicon Valley anecdotes and macro-economic trends. Some are informative. Some are a bit tiring. I think Jeff Bz is quoted 40 times throughout the book. Just a bit too much pop-science for me, without a clear, original, stringent argument. It makes it an interesting read for many, but disappointed my high expectations set by works such as “more from less”
January 28, 2024
von Stauffenberg Principle: any bureaucratic entity of forty or more people can stay busy ten hours a day, six days a week, with no inputs and no outputs.
What an amazing insight!
What an amazing insight!
February 13, 2024
Very good book on how things are getting done in the geek world.
May 12, 2024
- Geeks are willing to study things. They’re obsessives of any kind. There people who get fascinated by a topic and can’t or won’t let go of it, no matter what others think.
- The Geek Way is a set of solutions for thriving in a faster, moving business world. They are cultural solutions not technical. The geek leans into arguments and loathe bureaucracy. It favors iteration over planning, tolerates some chaos. It’s practitioners are vocal and egalitarian, they’re not afraid to fail, challenge the boss, or be proven wrong. Instead of respecting hierarchy and credentials, they respect, helpfulness and chops.
- The geek has four norms:
1. Speed. Achieve results by iterating rapidly instead of planning extensively.
2. Ownership. Geeks have a higher level of personal autonomy, empowerment, and responsibility; fewer cross functional processes and less coordination
3. Science. Conduct experiments, generate data, and debate how to interpret evidence.
4. Openness. Challenged by subordinates.
- The ultimate geek ground rule: shape the ultra sociality of group members so that the groups cultural evolution is as rapid as possible in the desired direction.
- Overconfidence has been called the most pervasive and potentially catastrophic of all cognitive biases to which human beings fall victim.
- Scientific method and a conclusion- science is an eternal argument governed by “iron rule of explanation”:
1. Strive to settle all arguments by empire
2. To conduct an empirical test to decide between a pair of hypothesis, performing experiment, one whose possible outcome can be explained by one hypothesis… but not the other
- BMI: bureaucracy mass index
- Geek norm of science: conduct evidence based arguments, so the group makes better decisions, productions, and estimates.
- Geek norm of ownership: to reduce bureaucracy, take away opportunities to gain status that aren’t aligned with the goals and values of the company.
- Geek norm of speed: to accelerate learning in progress, plan less and iterate more; organize projects around short cycles in which participant show their work, have access to peers and models, deliver to customers, and get feedback.
- Geek norm of openness: challenges to the status quo and increase common knowledge in order to combat defensiveness and undiscussable topics.
Bureaucracy is a heavy curtain drawn between the right thing to do and the right person to do it. - Honore de Balzac
- The Geek Way is a set of solutions for thriving in a faster, moving business world. They are cultural solutions not technical. The geek leans into arguments and loathe bureaucracy. It favors iteration over planning, tolerates some chaos. It’s practitioners are vocal and egalitarian, they’re not afraid to fail, challenge the boss, or be proven wrong. Instead of respecting hierarchy and credentials, they respect, helpfulness and chops.
- The geek has four norms:
1. Speed. Achieve results by iterating rapidly instead of planning extensively.
2. Ownership. Geeks have a higher level of personal autonomy, empowerment, and responsibility; fewer cross functional processes and less coordination
3. Science. Conduct experiments, generate data, and debate how to interpret evidence.
4. Openness. Challenged by subordinates.
- The ultimate geek ground rule: shape the ultra sociality of group members so that the groups cultural evolution is as rapid as possible in the desired direction.
- Overconfidence has been called the most pervasive and potentially catastrophic of all cognitive biases to which human beings fall victim.
- Scientific method and a conclusion- science is an eternal argument governed by “iron rule of explanation”:
1. Strive to settle all arguments by empire
2. To conduct an empirical test to decide between a pair of hypothesis, performing experiment, one whose possible outcome can be explained by one hypothesis… but not the other
- BMI: bureaucracy mass index
- Geek norm of science: conduct evidence based arguments, so the group makes better decisions, productions, and estimates.
- Geek norm of ownership: to reduce bureaucracy, take away opportunities to gain status that aren’t aligned with the goals and values of the company.
- Geek norm of speed: to accelerate learning in progress, plan less and iterate more; organize projects around short cycles in which participant show their work, have access to peers and models, deliver to customers, and get feedback.
- Geek norm of openness: challenges to the status quo and increase common knowledge in order to combat defensiveness and undiscussable topics.
Bureaucracy is a heavy curtain drawn between the right thing to do and the right person to do it. - Honore de Balzac
December 4, 2023
Lectura obligada para todos los directores de empresa que quieran ser exitosos en la era de la economía digital que estamos viviendo, especialmente aquellos que encabezan empresas que no serían consideradas como "digitales", precisamente porque suelen ser las empresas "tradicionales" las que tienen una cultura que tal vez haya funcionado en el pasado pero que ahora deben cambiar o arriesgarse a desaparecer.
La premisa principal del libro es que las empresas más exitosas de la economía digital no lo han sido fundamentalmente por el hecho de usar tecnología o por haber diseñado una estrategia adecuada (sin restarle importancia a estos factores), sino por tener una cultura organizacional específica, basada en cuatro principios: ciencia, responsabilidad ("ownership"), velocidad y apertura. A lo largo del libro, el autor va dando ejemplos de cómo se viven estas normas culturales en distintas empresas paradigmáticas de la economía digital (como Netflix o Google). También hay muchos ejemplos de empresas cuya cultura se ha anquilosado y sigue respondiendo a las necesidades de otras épocas, caracterizadas por líderes cerrados que ven mal el que se cuestione la autoridad, o cuya burocracia y perfeccionismo resultan en procesos lentos de toma de decisiones, las cuales, además, suelen estar basadas en la intuición y prácticas históricas más que en datos y análisis rigurosos.
Además de un estilo ágil y ameno, una de las fortalezas del libro es que el autor no se limita a compartir una serie de anécdotas de culturas exitosas sino que sustenta con lógica y argumentos el porqué las normas culturales que ha identificado se han vuelto fundamentales y porqué es tan difícil cambiar una cultura aunque haya un consenso de que las cosas no están funcionando (basándose, por ejemplo, en las enseñanzas de la teoría de juegos; piensen en el dilema del prisionero y el equilibrio de Nash).
Una valiosa adición a la literatura de la dirección de empresas en la economía digital, con enseñanzas valiosas para los líderes que quieran desarrollar una mentalidad digital.
La premisa principal del libro es que las empresas más exitosas de la economía digital no lo han sido fundamentalmente por el hecho de usar tecnología o por haber diseñado una estrategia adecuada (sin restarle importancia a estos factores), sino por tener una cultura organizacional específica, basada en cuatro principios: ciencia, responsabilidad ("ownership"), velocidad y apertura. A lo largo del libro, el autor va dando ejemplos de cómo se viven estas normas culturales en distintas empresas paradigmáticas de la economía digital (como Netflix o Google). También hay muchos ejemplos de empresas cuya cultura se ha anquilosado y sigue respondiendo a las necesidades de otras épocas, caracterizadas por líderes cerrados que ven mal el que se cuestione la autoridad, o cuya burocracia y perfeccionismo resultan en procesos lentos de toma de decisiones, las cuales, además, suelen estar basadas en la intuición y prácticas históricas más que en datos y análisis rigurosos.
Además de un estilo ágil y ameno, una de las fortalezas del libro es que el autor no se limita a compartir una serie de anécdotas de culturas exitosas sino que sustenta con lógica y argumentos el porqué las normas culturales que ha identificado se han vuelto fundamentales y porqué es tan difícil cambiar una cultura aunque haya un consenso de que las cosas no están funcionando (basándose, por ejemplo, en las enseñanzas de la teoría de juegos; piensen en el dilema del prisionero y el equilibrio de Nash).
Una valiosa adición a la literatura de la dirección de empresas en la economía digital, con enseñanzas valiosas para los líderes que quieran desarrollar una mentalidad digital.
March 20, 2024
McAfee argues that what sets tech companies apart is not the tech, but the workplace culture. The success and failure of companies relies on emulating a set of "geek" norms which include: openness, argumentation, humility, traceability of work, and experimentation. The chapter on the failure of Arthur Andersen was fascinating and how a training program in ethics doesn't save a company from the pressures of social cohesion which led even AA's ethicist to go along with the unethical work that resulted in the company's failure.
The case studies in the book were generally very helpful, although the work on Hubspot started to feel redundant. Also, the book's theoretical grounding in cultural evolution seemed incomplete or abandoned in the book. The book notably jumps from proposing a scientific framework for the research to a seminary study on ethics training. Even the books title The Geek Way has a ring of pilgrimage or rite to it. Surely there are company cultures that work, brings profits and are sustainable for a long time, but does that make it necessarily profitable and good for the world?
The case studies in the book were generally very helpful, although the work on Hubspot started to feel redundant. Also, the book's theoretical grounding in cultural evolution seemed incomplete or abandoned in the book. The book notably jumps from proposing a scientific framework for the research to a seminary study on ethics training. Even the books title The Geek Way has a ring of pilgrimage or rite to it. Surely there are company cultures that work, brings profits and are sustainable for a long time, but does that make it necessarily profitable and good for the world?
December 12, 2023
‘The Geek Way’ by Andrew McAfee has a simple premise that many could follow – tech companies have a structure and freedom that has allowed rapid growth and innovation while older companies set in their ways have been left in the dust. Backed by science, psychology and data, McAfee looks at the key reasons why, from speed to autonomy, to the aversion to bureaucracy for companies looking to continuously grow. There are countless insights here to write down and ponder, especially on how the most successful companies react to power structures and the importance of A/B testing.
Read
January 2, 2024‘These books underline that openness, challenge, experimentation and intelligent failure provide a solid launch pad for sensible risk-taking. It is no coincidence that these are also the principles of good science, which remains, to quote McAfee, “the best process we’ve ever come up with for being less wrong over time”.’ From my FT essay about The Geek Way and Amy Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong > How to embrace misfires, setbacks and flops https://on.ft.com/3GjBNz7
January 29, 2024
Very good. Talks about the more democratic corporate structure of “geek” businesses. Emphasizes obsession for results, empirical data, openness, ownership, execution, and science. It focuses on removing bureaucracy and enhancing efficiency and self sufficiency in the corporate structure. Also discusses psychology and sociology like overconfidence and game theory and lying hive mind mentalities.
4 geek norms:
1. Science
2. Speed
3. Openness
4. Ownership
4 geek norms:
1. Science
2. Speed
3. Openness
4. Ownership
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2024
I liked this more than I expected, a good write up and description of culture of high-growth companies. One aspect I'm not yet convinced about: I believe that companies exhibiting the aspects of culture described here also are likely to employ highly intelligent, high performing employees. Is it the culture or the employees who make these companies successful? Would these aspects of culture be successful within companies with median quality employees?
April 8, 2024
76%
This is a cool book talking about the brilliant philosophies of some awesome companies and how they are pushing out some really good ideas and policies into the marketplace and into the world in general for philosophy.
This book doesn't provide enough new content for me to say that it is a great book and resource for people, because I've already been very familiar with all of these companies and their topics but it is cool anyways.
This is a cool book talking about the brilliant philosophies of some awesome companies and how they are pushing out some really good ideas and policies into the marketplace and into the world in general for philosophy.
This book doesn't provide enough new content for me to say that it is a great book and resource for people, because I've already been very familiar with all of these companies and their topics but it is cool anyways.
February 26, 2024
The four norms of science, ownership, speed, and openness are vital to building a successful business culture. With these four norms, organizations can establish a virtuous flywheel that enables organizations to iterate quickly, self-correct based on feedback, and drive towards successful outcomes.
An insightful and interesting read from McAfee, as usual!
An insightful and interesting read from McAfee, as usual!
May 16, 2024
A bit repetitive but there is some food for thought for four key mantras of running a a business: experimental science and debating how to interpret evidence, ownership and empowerment with fewer cross-functional processes, speed with iterative feedback, and openness to being challenged by subordinates. Also, a plug for Montessori schools for future leaders hah.
February 2, 2024
Excellent book, Working in Industrial Era companies for more than 2decades, i could relate many thing mentioned in the book. Converting Industrial Era company to Geek company is difficult, but possible if there are enough people to support. A great read...
March 14, 2024
Four norms are science (facts/data), ownership, speed, and openness
Don't use HiPPO (Highest paid persons opinion)
Time to make decision is key. Military and business the time frame where you take in data and react.
Don't use HiPPO (Highest paid persons opinion)
Time to make decision is key. Military and business the time frame where you take in data and react.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2024
As a geek myself, I'm familiar with Agile, The Spotify Model etc. This book brings together these ideas and many more. It puts them in context, however, explains why the alternatives are inferior but so prevalent, why the idea are relevant too for non tech. Highly recommended.
April 21, 2024
This was excellent - his discussions of Silicon Valley way were interesting and concise. The overall take always about human interconnectedness, humility, closed and open work cultures, and the value of gossip were helpful and interesting.
December 26, 2023
A good summary of how modern companies operate. Great for beginners in this topic, not much new for me here.
January 1, 2024
I didn't expect to be so impressed by this book but it really is a great synthesis of many of my own observations of what works in building a company and many of the watchouts.
January 13, 2024
excellent
One of the best books I read about “organizational science”.
Mandatory reading for anyone in a leadership position or aiming to be in one
One of the best books I read about “organizational science”.
Mandatory reading for anyone in a leadership position or aiming to be in one
February 6, 2024
Not geeky enough to enjoy this book.
March 5, 2024
Great book talking about how to do things effectively. I wish we could apply more to work.
March 27, 2024
An interesting business book. One dimensional. Basically states culture trumps all and organizations tend to innovate best and develop great products with debate across reporting lines .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews