The Geek Way: The Radical Mindset that Drives Extraordinary Results by Andrew McAfee. Little, Brown and Company, 2023, 325 pp.
The Geek Way presents technology development case studies that provide insights into decision-making and choices for challenging technology companies. Andrew McAfee, a principal research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management who studies the dynamics of technology progression, examines how people classified as “geeky” were able to transform small startups into multi-billion-dollar behemoths.
While geek has traditionally been used to describe “outsiders” interested in computers, science fiction, and math, McAfee broadens the term’s use to include not just those in high-tech sectors but all “business geeks,” or “people who got obsessed with the hard problem of running a modern company, came up with unconventional solutions, and implemented them.” Geeks are driven not by “industry or geography or how big an ownership stake they have,” but rather are “united” by the fact “that they’re geeks—obsessive mavericks—about business and companies” (9). Geek companies, which he wryly suggests are places with “looser dress codes, better snacks, and more dogs and foosball tables,” represent a business counter-culture that spurns bureaucracy, welcomes chaos, disruption, and new ideas, and prefers credibility over credentials and hierarchy (27).
Examining the era of the computer revolution through the present digital age, spanning the period from 2002 to 2022, McAfee proposes four behavioral traits that geek organizations have in common—science, ownership, speed, and openness. He defines each and devotes to each a chapter with case studies inclusive of successful and unsuccessful examples. He clarifies that speed is about iterating rapidly, drawing a distinction from moving fast; ownership is about empowering employees to make decisions and keeping an organization flat; science is about using data to strengthen arguments and make sounder decisions; and openness is about being willing to consider challenges to the norm and welcoming new and opposing ideas.
McAfee concludes from his research that with geek companies, ownership, empowerment, and decision-making authority are pushed down to lower levels at a higher rate than with industrial-era companies and more generally, organizations. He then discusses how science is used to support data-driven decisions, and how welcoming dissonance via openness makes stronger organizations and more sound decisions. The discussion centers on removing biases and/or opportunities to gain status that are counterproductive to the organization. Following each deep dive into the four norms listed above, a survey is provided to grade or rate one’s organization to measure its level of that norm.
McAfee references several organizations that embodied geek culture. Along with the early examples of Amazon and Google, he also shows how the National Aeronautics and Space Administration struggled to overcome costly bureaucracy associated with space launches, which led to the forming of startup Planet Labs. One particularly insightful example of a geek company is Netflix. At one point, Netflix decided to de-invest in downloadable content on the assumption that Wi-Fi would be ubiquitous, especially on airplanes; however, this proved to be a faulty assumption, and the disruptive media company had to quickly pivot back. Another media company, Quibi, which serves as an unsuccessful example of a disruptive company, failed due to its preference for large-screen applications rather than being optimized for smaller screens during a time when cell phone streaming was booming.
The book covers a wide span of technology companies, so one might question the relevance to a government-run organization, but there are concepts that McAfee suggests that transcend the public/private distinction. On the surface, the case studies and ideas might seem like agile principles rebranded, but there is fair treatise given to each component. The ideas are certainly relevant as society shifts from an industrial age to a digital age, where data is at our fingertips, which makes the science chapter quite interesting. McAfee presents an effective example of how science and the use of data could lead to inherent problems, namely, overconfidence; however, he discusses how to employ science to win arguments strongly backed by evidence. Similarly, his arguments for openness, ownership, and speed are rooted in gathering more data, sharing it widely, and empowering lower-level members of the organization so that decisions can be made clearly and arguments can be supported based on data and what the organization commonly knows.
Much of this work really harkens to what fast-moving DoD organizations try to do. Geek organizations try to maintain a flat structure, empower their people, and move and learn quickly. McAfee shows that these norms can scale beyond small organizations to be employed by large companies. He also discusses how these organizational traits and behaviors can be recruiting tools for people who want to work at places that embrace these norms.
It is not difficult to see how the theory and framework of The Geek Way could be used in many organizations. Whether program offices or operational wings, such organizations can exercise the traits of transparency and empowerment that McAfee writes about. For the mid-level manager, this book is worth reading to gain insight into how one could better manage a team, especially one that conducts regular meetings. The Geek Way is generally lighthearted with real-world examples that McAfee pulls from his deep experience and network, and the vignettes are relatable and easily understood. This book would also complement the leadership of a military officer interested in management and teambuilding and would be well-suited for someone interested in pursuing an MBA or similar degree.
Major Glenn R. Peterson, USAF, PhD