The author is incredulous that any of these companies get any work done. Yet. All of these companies are tremendously successful and produce great software. Obviously there is quite a bit of disconnect between what the author thinks and what happens in reality.
Personally I think it's because none of these places are about productivity. In fact I think it's the exact opposite. Take Google for instance. If you think about working on improving Google search what kinds of things do you think are important? Productivity? Or Creativity? My bet is on creativity which I think is where these kinds of workspaces excel.
You are in a room full of smart people who are all collaborating on the same set of problems. Innovative solutions are more likely to occur in that environment than closed off in a personal office. Personally, I like the trend of offering both kinds of workspaces. Private offices for when you just need some time to think. Public workspaces for collaboration and creativity. Conference rooms for meetings. Leave it up to the individual to determine when they need to work in each space.
> All of these companies are tremendously successful and produce great software.
Well, they were. More recently (since the headcounts exploded and the open-office fad picked up) they've been coasting along with the S&P500 overall performance and upseting users.
> If you think about working on improving Google search
I thnk about concentrating to deeply analyzing lots of subtle data using advanced mathematics, not spitballing cool ideas.
> Productivity? Or Creativity?
Lots of creativity with no productivity: great idea that never launch, or launch with fatal flaws that never get fixed, and products that get shuttered.
> smart people who are all collaborating
Most humans can barely remember the identities of 100 people at once. How can they be "all collaborating" all day in the office.
I am in a room full of people, none of whom are working on anything related to what I'm doing. The idea that my seating will help "foster collaboration" is ludicrous. It's all about maximizing the number of warm bodies per square foot.
I think private offices are better for collaboration too. When I don't worry about distracting everyone around me I feel much freer to engage in a long discussion with one or two other developers in my office.
Personally I think it's because none of these places are about productivity. In fact I think it's the exact opposite. Take Google for instance. If you think about working on improving Google search what kinds of things do you think are important? Productivity? Or Creativity? My bet is on creativity which I think is where these kinds of workspaces excel.
You are in a room full of smart people who are all collaborating on the same set of problems. Innovative solutions are more likely to occur in that environment than closed off in a personal office. Personally, I like the trend of offering both kinds of workspaces. Private offices for when you just need some time to think. Public workspaces for collaboration and creativity. Conference rooms for meetings. Leave it up to the individual to determine when they need to work in each space.