How to build a DOA product: Humane AI Pin founders banned internal criticism
arstechnica.com
Questioning the design and dev progress was apparently "against company policy."
  • David Gerard@awful.systemsMEnglish
    30·
    5 months ago

    this is a reblog of the NYT story:

    Many current and former employees said Mr. Chaudhri and Ms. Bongiorno preferred positivity over criticism, leading them to disregard warnings about the Ai Pin’s poor battery life and power consumption. A senior software engineer was dismissed after raising questions about the product, they said, while others left out of frustration.

    https://archive.ph/HcItE

    • maol@awful.systemsEnglish
      15·
      5 months ago

      In January, Humane laid off about 10 employees. A month later, a senior software engineer was let go after she questioned whether the Ai Pin would be ready by April. In a company meeting after the dismissal, Mr. Chaudhri and Ms. Bongiorno said the employee had violated policy by talking negatively about Humane, two attendees said.

      • JeffreyOrange@lemmy.worldEnglish
        101·
        5 months ago

        Violated policy by talking negatively Hahahahaha Firing someone for that should 100% be illegal.

        • deborah@awful.systemsEnglish
          17·
          5 months ago

          There’s only one way in the US, where most employment is at-will, to have a contract that prevents getting fired for a completely boneheaded reason.

          /me bursts into chorus of L’Internationale and is dragged to the gate by admins, off-key singing the entire track listing of Chumbawamba’s “English Rebel Songs 1381–1914” dopplering off into the distance as I go.