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Keeping People

Keeping People

Tech companies do a generally poor job at keeping employees from leaving.

There are plenty of reasons for this: competing offers, unhappiness, and just generally itchy feet. Because of this, sometimes it's difficult to focus on building a strong culture of company solidarity, particularly when you're trying to juggle the hundreds of other needs of a growing business.

This is a talk about keeping people.

Zach Holman

April 09, 2013
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Transcript

  1. keeping people

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  4. PEOPLE IS HARD
    REPLACING

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  5. 8
    PEOPLE IS HARD
    REPLACING

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  6. 8
    2 WEEKS
    2 MONTHS
    3 MONTHS PEOPLE IS HARD
    REPLACING

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  7. 8
    2 WEEKS
    2 MONTHS
    3 MONTHS
    NOTICE
    INTERVIEWS
    RAMP-UP PERIOD

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  8. 8
    HALF A YEAR TO REPLACE PEOPLE

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  9. DOESN’T WORRY
    OUR INDUSTRY
    ABOUT THIS ENOUGH

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  10. TODAY:
    FOUR TRAITS OF GITHUB’S RETENTION

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  11. TODAY:
    WORK IS CREATIVE
    FOUR TRAITS OF GITHUB’S RETENTION

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  12. TODAY:
    WORK IS CREATIVE YOUR
    PRODUCT IS YOUR PRODUCT
    FOUR TRAITS OF GITHUB’S RETENTION

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  13. TODAY:
    WORK IS CREATIVE YOUR
    PRODUCT IS YOUR PRODUCT
    ATTACHMENT TO THE UNIQUE
    FOUR TRAITS OF GITHUB’S RETENTION

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  14. TODAY:
    WORK IS CREATIVE YOUR
    PRODUCT IS YOUR PRODUCT
    ATTACHMENT TO THE UNIQUE
    REALLY GOOD HIRING
    FOUR TRAITS OF GITHUB’S RETENTION

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  15. WORK IS CREATIVE

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  16. BURNOUT

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  17. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS

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  18. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS

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  19. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS
    I’M ON JOB #5
    AT GITHUB

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  20. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS
    MOVES POSITION
    UNHAPPINESS
    OFF THE TABLE

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  21. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS
    SHORT-TERM:
    SMALL HACKS,
    NEW PROJECTS, LEARNING

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  22. LET PEOPLE
    FLOAT
    BETWEEN
    JOBS
    LONG-TERM:
    NEW FOCUS

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  23. Yo
    how
    are
    you even
    reading this
    bro
    do
    you
    even
    magnifying
    glasses?
    Yo how are
    you even
    reading this
    bro do you
    even
    magnifying
    glasses?
    REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo how are
    you even
    reading this
    bro do you
    even
    magnifying
    glasses?
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    reading this
    bro
    do
    you
    even
    m
    agnifying
    glasses?
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    reading this
    bro
    do
    you
    even
    m
    agnifying
    glasses?
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    reading this
    bro
    do
    you
    even
    m
    agnifying
    glasses?
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi

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  24. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    NO ONE LIKES
    “THE MAN”

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  25. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    CODE REVIEW:
    “THE MAN”

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  26. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    DESIGN REVIEW:
    “THE MAN”

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  27. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    MEETINGS:
    “THE MAN”

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  28. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    FROM UP HIGH:
    “THE MAN”
    DIRECTIVES

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  29. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    FRICTION IS
    FRUSTRATING

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  30. REDUCE
    OVERHEAD
    FOR DOING
    ANYTHING
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    AUTOMATE AWAY
    THE TEDIOUS

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  31. HIRE
    WHO FRUSTRATE
    EASILY
    PEOPLE
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readin
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi
    Yo
    how
    are
    you
    even
    readi

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  32. YOUR PRODUCT IS YOUR PRODUCT

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  33. ALWAYS
    OWN
    THE PRODUCT hereby it i
    declared
    that thing
    were
    declared

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  34. ALWAYS
    OWN
    THE PRODUCT
    GOOD PEOPLE LIKE
    FEELING IN CHARGE

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  35. ALWAYS
    OWN
    THE PRODUCT
    BOOTSTRAPPING
    GOOD VC TERMS
    BEING PROFITABLE

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  36. ALWAYS
    OWN
    THE PRODUCT
    NOT BEING FORCED
    TO MAKE POOR
    PRODUCT DECISIONS

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  37. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $
    $
    $
    $
    $
    $
    $ $
    $
    $

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  38. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    MOST USERS
    ARE IDIOTS

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  39. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    I’LL USE YOUR
    PRODUCT IF YOU ADD
    MY FEATURE


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  40. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    THEY WON’T.

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  41. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    OR THEY WILL ANYWAY.

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  42. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    THIS DILUTES
    THE PRODUCT

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  43. “IF”S
    ARE
    LIES
    $ $
    $
    THIS MAKES PEOPLE
    LESS HAPPY
    ABOUT WORKING ON IT

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  44. WOOF
    DOG-
    FOODING
    WOOF
    WOOF
    WOOF
    WOOF

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  45. WOOF
    DOG-
    FOODING
    WOOF
    WOOF
    WOOF
    STUFF YOU USE
    BUILDING
    MEANS RECURSIVE HAPPINESS

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  46. WOOF
    DOG-
    FOODING
    WOOF
    WOOF
    WOOF
    TO RECRUIT
    EASIER

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  47. WOOF
    DOG-
    FOODING
    WOOF
    WOOF
    WOOF
    TO BUILD
    EASIER

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  48. ATTACHMENT TO THE UNIQUE

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  49. GOOD PEOPLE
    INTERESTING
    STICK AROUND FOR
    REASONS

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  50. GOOD PEOPLE
    INTERESTING
    STICK AROUND FOR
    REASONS
    HERE’S A FEW OF OURS

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  51. THE
    MUSIC ⽄

    ̇

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  52. THE
    TRAVEL

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  53. THE
    CHAT 

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  54. WHAT ARE YOUR
    INTERESTING
    REASONS?

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  55. WHAT ARE YOUR
    INTERESTING
    REASONS?
    HINT:
    IT’S NOT
    FREE COKES
    OR XBOX OR PING-PONG

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  56. REALLY GOOD HIRING

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  57. YEAH,
    HIRE A-PLAYERS
    AND ALL THAT JUNK

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  58. YEAH,
    HIRE A-PLAYERS
    AND ALL THAT JUNK
    THERE ARE A LOT OF A-PLAYERS THOUGH

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  59. HIRE
    HACKERS
    OPEN SOURCE

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  60. HIRE
    HACKERS
    OPEN SOURCE
    SEE THEIR WORK
    EASY TO

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  61. HIRE
    HACKERS
    OPEN SOURCE
    SOLVE THEIR
    THEY
    OWN PROBLEMS

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  62. HIRE
    SLOWLY

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  63. HIRE
    SLOWLY GITHUB WAS <10
    FOR 2.5 YEARS

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  64. HIRE
    SLOWLY QUICK HIRING
    GENERATES CONFUSION

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  65. keeping people

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  66. keeping people
    REALLY MATTERS

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  67. keeping people
    REALLY MATTERS
    EVERYTHING
    FLOWS FROM
    PEOPLE

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  68. keeping people
    REALLY MATTERS
    EVERYTHING
    FLOWS FROM
    PEOPLE
    BUILD GOOD
    CULTURE

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  69. THANKS
    WOOF

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