Whether they've lost their way or not, from what I hear it runs a lot faster on Linux, which is great, because that's what I'd rather be running on server-side.
> have a great team building things that matter with satisfied members.
Cherish this, and secretly examine every nuance of its ups-and-downs while you can. The basis of all of your future management efforts will be to get back to something similar to this point.
Just remember, a manager is a well-organized servant leader who is ultimately never responsible for success.
> Far too often I've seen the manager put the company way ahead of the team
Hear! Hear! This completely, followed by managers being too lazy or being too ignorant and just never "getting it".
After many years, I've come to the conclusion that:
1. I sucked as an engineering manager.
2. Most people suck as engineering managers.
3. The only thing that works is a flatter structure with really exceptional managers as actual engineering managers that do what's right and stand up for the team, with a set of people under them that don't actually have management authority, but they can organize things, stay on top of efforts, and communicate status to those that can. This works because really exceptional managers are extremely hard to find and are paid well, so if you try to do anything but this, you will hire bad managers.
> I don't want to give any business to a company that are seeking to become a worldwide cab monopoly
Do you buy from Amazon? Essentially the same thing, and I for one use it regularly. Like you, I worried for a while about a monopoly, but I think capitalism will pan out.
Amazon and any other online retailer that can successfully provide massive selection, good product review system, and reliable and fast home delivery will drive a change in the landscape of retail locally. This will eventually lead to smaller local physical stores through agreements with those retailers where the most popular items are stocked.
(The exception for the short-term will be supermarkets. And you've already seen the attempts at transformation; many generic retailers are half-grocery store now. That's what they will become in full, if they survive. But, home delivery will take that over also, eventually.)
Uber had poor decisions made, but along with Lyft in the US, Mytaxi in the UK, etc.- these are the "early Amazons" of the transportation business. The old method that Taxi services use is no longer relevant now that anyone can find directions easily. London is somewhat unique in that some of its cab drivers are known worldwide as those that have incredible memories, and that's great, but they are the typewriters of the future- used by some, but not by most. All of the dispatch and directions have been automated.
For sure. The problems happen when insufficient experience, knowledge, and leadership is combined with anything.
With enough fuel, fire, and gained wisdom, anything is achievable.
But, 10 kids playing with building blocks can't easily build an automobile, whereas one smart, dedicated engineer with a lot of metal, some tires, and better tools could pull it off. So, tools and resources matter, too.
> an army of "toddler" developers can overthrow a single hero in terms of productivity
Depends on what you mean by toddler.
Golang devs imo are not toddlers. The point seemed to be that golang devs could just learn to write C, which is valid. So could Rust developers. But if that was the goal, you'd think both groups would only be using C.
When I think of "toddler" developers, I think of interns being hired into a company to write code with no experience working under mid-level developers that also lack experience, and 5 years later you have what is called f-ing hell. I've worked at a company like that before, and know someone that worked in a company that was mostly VB developers. Same concept but without interns.