Maverick
by Ricardo Semler · first published 1993
68% recommend32% neutral
Why HN recommends it
First-hand account of how Semco in Brazil dropped rigid hierarchy for self-set salaries, flexible hours and workplace democracy. Inspiring for founders and managers designing a less bureaucratic organization.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…appear on "best places to work" lists include: http://www.gore.com/ - Gore Industries, a truly astonishing workplace in almost every write-up I've ever read. http://www.semco.com.br/en/ - The book "Maverick" by CEO Ricardo Semler shows how he set the culture. It's grown a lot since then, but still an amazing firm http://www.sas.com/ - employees love it http://www.netapp.com/ - ditto, and the hardware is…
on “Ask HN: Best companies to work for in the US which don't have media coverage?” ↗Maybe they read the Maverick by Ricardo Semler and realised that working in a company doesn't have to be shit.
on “The 'Trophy Kids' Go to Work ” ↗Maverick - Ricardo Semler (For inspiration) The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemmingway(For enjoying the process)
on “Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books.” ↗"Maverick" by Ricardo Semler - This book is about the company Semco in Brazil and challenges everything you think you know about business. Semler advocates radical ideas like public self-set salaries and workplace…
on “Ask HN: Great books you read in 2009?” ↗cf. "Maverick" by Ricardo Semler, the CEO of Semco. I think you'd all enjoy reading it. It changed my attitude to work and management considerably. I am still a manager, but I give a lot more responsibility to my…
on “First, Let's Fire All The Managers” ↗Maverick, by Richardo Semler. I must have given away a dozen of this book to various people. Very inspiring if you are looking to build an organisation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(book)
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗If I had to structure an organization of 1,000 people You might also want to read this: http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-Ricardo-Semler/dp/0712678867
on “You weren't meant to have a boss” ↗…mediocre people. One big company that seems to do well, at least from the outside is Semco in Brazil. Watch Ricardo Semler's "Leading by Omission": http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/308/ and read his book "Maverick": http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446670553. This is of course an anomaly since most companies don't work this way.
on “You weren't meant to have a boss” ↗I have read "the book" mentioned (Reinventing Organizations) and it's amazing. Another book to read would be Maverick by Ricardo Semler. The companies covered, from a wide range of different sectors, industries and countries genuinely seems to provide a nurturing, egalitarian environment for their employees. I think…
on “Zappos’ experiment to end the office workplace” ↗I found these ideas very refreshing, coming from a business of NetFlix' size and maturity. If these slides resonate with you, you may enjoy Maverick by Ricardo Semler, an auto-biographical account of how he transformed SemCo (a brazilian company) from a rigid, process oriented organization into a business that values freedom and good judgment. As…
on “The Guide to the Freedom and Responsibility Culture at Netflix” ↗Maverick - By Ricardo Semler of Semco. It's a must read book for every entrepreneur. I've read few business books, but this is one of those books I'll always recommend everyone with Founders at Work and Art of…
on “What are you reading?” ↗Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace, by Ricardo Semler. Costs $10 at Amazon. Worth it.
on “Jason Fried: Why I Run a Flat Company ” ↗Ricardo Semler's book "Maverick!" is a great read to see the long term impact of this approach on a company, it's culture, and it's success. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Semler
on “How to set priorities, create budgets and do PM in a no-manager company” ↗This is almost exactly what happened in a Brazilian company called Semco. Ricardo Semler discusses it in his book "Maverick!" about how they developed a completely new corporate culture. Great book and I highly recommend it.
on “Future of Corporations: Results-Only Work Environment--Focus on Output, not Hours or Face-Time” ↗…seems the higher up the structure you go the larger percentage of your day is consumed by the one hour meeting! A lot of the concepts remind me of the strategies Ricardo Semler talks about in his book Maverick - a good read if anyone's interested.
on “I don’t do meetings. I do tweetings.” ↗