Gervais Principle
by Venkatesh Rao · first published 2013
82% recommend18% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Essay series that uses The Office to explain workplace hierarchy and why organizations promote and behave as they do. Suits people puzzled by office politics or by how companies and startups run.
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I never understood why I always got so depressed reading LinkedIn, until I read The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao. And then I saw that LinkedIn consists almost entirely of clueless people talking to other clueless people, and exclusively in posturetalk (these are Rao’s terms - “clueless” means something…
on “Why is LinkedIn so cringe?” ↗Highly recommend reading The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao for a more in-depth discussion of office talk, and much more.
on “The Awkward but Essential Art of Office Chitchat” ↗…pleasant and technical read. It reads almost like a novel. Separately, I think it's worth reading at least a couple things that are more cynical. It's helpful for balance. On that front I'd say... 1. The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao This is a lengthy blog series (or ebook). It uses a metaphor about The Office, but it's still plenty relatable if you didn't watch that show. The abstraction this lays over modern knowledge…
on “Ask HN: What are some no fluff books on engineering, career, and general wisdom?” ↗…have equilibrium in my work-life balance now even though I still do on-call rotations and work for a massive company. Funny thing is all of this started from me randomly finding an "e-book" called "The Gervais Principle, Or The Office According to The Office" by Venkatesh Rao. It's a somewhat exaggerated take on things, but it got me to re-evaluate my career and life. Free to read: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...
on “Ask HN: Has anyone managed to find enjoyment in their work after burnout?” ↗Warning: this is a huge topic. For further reading: Venkatesh Rao's series on the Gervais Principle: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-o... My series on the same issue (organizational inefficiency): http://michaelochurch.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/gervais-princ... In a picture:…
on “Firm Inefficiency” ↗This "Defining the Corporate Hierarchy" is a re-hash of the (acknowledged) original, the "Gervais Principle" by Venkatesh Rao. The Gervais Principle is brilliant. "The Gervais Principle" series home: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/
on “People start hating their jobs at 35” ↗I keep going back to Venkatesh Rao's "Gervais Principle" essays. The other stuff he's written is really good too. http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-o...
on “Ask HN: Your "Keeper" articles.” ↗…important things to worry about. Lives, family, friends. These things take up all their mindspace, leaving no room for career machinations. You should read Venkatesh Rao's series of essays called "The Gervais Principle". http://www.ribbonfarm.com/the-gervais-principle/
on “How To Keep Your Best Programmers” ↗…literally nonsensical. She set the stage on fire. Her fans think the sun shines out of her arse. Most cliche's seem to gradually get long winded and meaningless as they age. Venkatesh Rao in his epic "Gervais Principle" has some good bits about Gervais' character speaking in all cliches. In American Gods, the new gods speak in all cliches and the show is doing a great job adapting it to their version of that pantheon.…
on “Jeff Bezos tweet seeking philanthropic ideas draws 42,000 replies” ↗…and I've gotten a huge amount of value from doing the same in my own journaling, but I get how it can be a turnoff. I really like Venkatesh Rao, but outside of more conventionally phrased works like The Gervais Principle, I sometimes struggle to get through Ribbonfarm because of his obscure style and linguistic choices.
on “Too Clever by Half (2018)” ↗…folks on HN. Ordered from most enjoyable / insightful to least. - Edward O. Wilson - Biophilia - Will Durant - The Lessons Of History - Freeman J. Dyson - A Many-Colored Glass - Venkatesh Rao - The Gervais Principle - Ray Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles - Colin Wilson - The Outsider - Stanislaw Lem - Cyberiad - Chaos Monkeys - Antonio Martinez - Ben Horowitz - What You Do Is Who You Are - Alice Flaherty -…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗…over-time hours, blood, sweat, tears, etc over my 17+ years in software development and always ended up in the same rut where I wanted to check out of technology. A handful of years ago I stumbled upon "The Gervais Principle, Or The Office According to The Office"[1] by Venkatesh Rao. It's basically an e-book (short enough to be considered an article really) that's meant to be funny in a way, but it has some serious reality…
on “Ask HN: Has anyone started over outside of tech?” ↗…somehow escape this dynamic.... The muggles who invade and ruin subcultures come in two distinct flavors, mops and sociopaths, playing very different roles. This insight was influenced by Venkatesh Rao’s Gervais Principle,[1] an analysis of workplace dynamics. Rao’s theory is hideous, insightful nihilism; I recommend it.... The sociopaths ... work out how to monetize mops—which the fanatics were never good at. With better…
on “It's not just you – no one is posting on social media anymore” ↗Seems similar to what Venkatesh Rao has written about "The Clueless" in his "The Gervais Principle" article. It is a really great read: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...
on “Loyal workers are selectively and ironically targeted for exploitation” ↗The Gervais Principle by Venkatesh Rao I did Not understand my work Environment anymore but this blogpost perfectly explained it
on “Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2024?” ↗