The maze is in the mouse

Google's culture has become a maze that lives inside its employees. The author, a former AppSheet founder who joined Google during the pandemic, describes how endless approvals, launch processes, and performance reviews trap even the most capable engineers in a risk-averse routine that rewards compliance over impact. He points out that promotions, bonuses and perks act as cheese, while the real mission of serving users disappears beneath layers of internal bureaucracy.

The article identifies four cultural maladies: loss of mission, lack of urgency, delusions of exceptionalism, and mismanagement. These stem from a profit-driven ad business that hides deeper sins. Because risk mitigation dominates every decision, even trivial code changes require dozens of reviews, and any deviation from the status quo is seen as danger. The result is slow, predictable work that never creates real customer value, and a workforce that measures success by internal metrics rather than user outcomes.

Concrete examples illustrate the problem: engineers spend weeks preparing a single executive deck, managers pad estimates to avoid disappointment, and "heroic" effort is actively discouraged. The author contrasts this with his experience at Microsoft, noting that Google still retains strong values and external respect, but its internal processes are stuck in a decades-old waterfall mindset. Hiring at scale has further diluted talent, especially in senior ranks, compounding the cultural decay.

For technical leaders, the insight is clear: to break the maze, shift focus from risk avoidance to value creation. Ask daily "who did I create value for?" and align plans with measurable impact for users, not internal comfort. Encourage realistic estimation, reduce unnecessary approvals, and rebuild a culture where serving the customer is the top metric. Only then can Google reclaim the urgency and mission that once defined it.