Video and slides synchronized, mp3 and slide download available at URL https://bit.ly/2pXJeWf. Bruce Johnson describes some real-world examples of memes that helped shape engineering team culture during his years at Google and play an epic role at FullStory today. He also discusses tactics for developing our own effective memes, how they can help with tricky topics like management and diversity, and how to make sure they’re sticky. Filmed at qconsf.com. Bruce Johnson is the founder and COO of FullStory. Before FullStory, he founded Google's Atlanta Engineering office, which created Google Web Toolkit, Speed Tracer, the Java runtime for App Engine, and other technologies.

1. Engineering
Engineering Culture
with Memes Bruce Johnson
Co-founder/COO, FullStory
bruce@fullstory.com
@hbrucejohnson

2. InfoQ.com: News & Community Site
• Over 1,000,000 software developers, architects and CTOs read the site world-
wide every month
• 250,000 senior developers subscribe to our weekly newsletter
• Published in 4 languages (English, Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian
Portuguese)
• Post content from our QCon conferences
• 2 dedicated podcast channels: The InfoQ Podcast, with a focus on
Architecture and The Engineering Culture Podcast, with a focus on building
• 96 deep dives on innovative topics packed as downloadable emags and
minibooks
• Over 40 new content items per week
Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
engineering-culture-google-fullstory

3. Purpose of QCon
- to empower software development by facilitating the spread of
knowledge and innovation
Strategy
- practitioner-driven conference designed for YOU: influencers of
change and innovation in your teams
- speakers and topics driving the evolution and innovation
- connecting and catalyzing the influencers and innovators
Highlights
- attended by more than 12,000 delegates since 2007
- held in 9 cities worldwide
Presented at QCon San Francisco
www.qconsf.com

4. What’s in a meme?
Meme:
“a unit of cultural
transmission, or a
unit of imitation”
THIS NOT (ONLY) THIS

5. “Should we raise or
lower tax rates?”

6. The
Laffer
Curve

7. THING 2
Concepts are tools that do real work
THING 1
Management is
becoming less
about authority

8. Memes are
conceptual tools,
indifferent to authority.

9. 1. The Grotto
2. The Suck Less Cycle
3. The Bow Tie
4. Prove Its

10. The Grotto

12. “What if we just copied
the internet into RAM?”
CREATIVITY AND LISTENING
IN THE GROTTO

13. Me
John Lewis!
Green carpetZen fountains

14. What The Grotto does for us
More innovative ideas
Levels the playing field for ideas
Listening practice
It’s just fun

15. The Suck Less Cycle

17. The Suck Less Cycle™ for evolution without flail
Dogma Product
Insights
design
build
ship
observe
support
analyze
learn
assimilate
update

18. “We only accept business
email addresses.”
STRUCTURED TEAM WRONGNESS
WITH THE SUCK LESS CYCLE

19. Relax about being wrong
Can’t change all the things all the time
Can change next time ‘round, though
State your dogma
What The Suck Less Cycle does for us

20. There’s a formula

21. Simple Practical
Zany (pro)Epiphanic
S.U.C.C.E.S.

22. “Wait...I think we’re on opposite
sides of the bow-tie.”
COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
WITH THE BOW-TIE

23. The best things
we can imagine
Things that can
be true for us
The best
imaginable
realistic
thing
More realistic More creative
Allthethings

24. Language for comparing mindsets
Reminder: problem-solving is multifaceted
Basis for pairing complementary people
Signal of readiness to implement a design
What The Bow Tie does for us

25. “You keep saying that.
Why not do a Prove It?”
CRISP, DECENTRALIZED DECISIONS
WITH PROVE ITS

27. PROTOTYPE PROVE IT
Do we still like it now that it's becoming real?
DESIGN PROVE IT
What is it meant to be like, with maximum clarity?
DELIVERY PROVE IT
Mugging agrees to take ownership through launch.
FEATURE
Mugging = Marketing + Hugging

28. Avoids wasteful vacillation
Normalizes critique and wanting reasons
Clarity unlocks autonomy
Avoids imperfect buy-in & “I told you so”
Egalitarian – everyone has a voice
What Prove Its do for us

30. Influence >> Authority
The best memes are
Simple + Epiphanic + Practical + Zany
Spend them wisely
Conjure memes from your actual problems
Sincerity is critical

31. Thank you!
Q & A

32. “Leadership is accepting
responsibility for enabling
others to achieve shared
purpose under conditions of
uncertainty.”
—Marshall Ganz

33. “We shape our tools,
and thereafter our
tools shape us.”
- John Culkin
Not John Culkin
memes
memes

34. Watch the video with slide
synchronization on InfoQ.com!
https://www.infoq.com/presentations/
engineering-culture-google-fullstory