When I first met Matthew Partovi I think there was a mutual troublemaker recognition admiration thing going on. The kind where you identify a mischief maker and recognise that the motivation behind the mischief is to push the boundaries of what currently exists so we can get to where we need to go. Matthew was on the team that developed Yammer, the enterprise social network. I had introduced Yammer by stealth to Monmouthshire County Council as an attempt to break down the silo barriers to communication. A few years, and a bit of Helen Reynolds magic later, the foster parent support community which had been set up on Yammer was up for an award. At the award dinner my interface to the thinking behind this tool, that has no respect for the constraints of hierarchical industrial era command and control siloed management, shifted from being a screen to being a direct human connection with people who have very big ideas and wide horizons.
Since Yammer was acquired by Microsoft, Matthew’s activism has if anything gone into overdrive. He is currently driving forward a suite of ideas that seek to help transform the way organisations work, they are well worth your attention. Start with Culturevist (people who care so much about their organisation’s culture they’re ready to lose their job for it) before you get your head around The Responsive Org (great resources on that site) and then you’ll be ready to have a go at We Work Unbound (no really, do it). We’re so excited by these ideas that we’re trying to figure out how we can translate this thinking into the government sector. Anyway, it’s time you heard from this good hacker in his own words…
What do you do for a living?
Accelerate the shift of organisations away from an industrial-age way of working
What ding you are trying to make in the universe?
I want to help the world become a better place as a result of me being in it. To do this, I’m focusing my energy on helping improve the way organisations work. Imagine the impact if we can improve the way organisations that affect billions of people (like banks, government, schools, and so on) work.
What is your life mantra
Declutter. I’m still working on it.
Nikolai Tesla or Thomas Edison?
I think I need to learn more about them.
Favourite place in the world? and why?
The great outdoors. To reconnect with nature.
Who is your hero? and why?
So many. I’ll go for Will Smith this time. Here’s why.
Who is the most interesting hacker you have come across? and why?
Mike Skinner. Here’s part of why.
How would you define ‘hacker’ using only words allowed by upgoer5? http://splasho.com/upgoer5/
Someone who takes something and does something different with it
What is the coolest hack you have seen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk
What is the biggest obstacles for hackers in traditional organisations?
Culture. Particularly ‘Managers’ that see hacking as a negative thing and penalise people for it.
What is the value of having hackers in your organisation?
Without hackers, you might be able to survive. With hackers, I believe you’re more likely to thrive
Who would you pass these questions onto for the next interview?
https://twitter.com/mattdesmier
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