The same week that saw another round of layoffs at a major social media company also brought a report on how much time executives spend on internal politics. These two things are connected. The culture of tech has drifted from building to managing. Teams shrink but the number of meetings grows. The people who stay spend more time justifying their existence than making things.
This is not a problem with AI or remote work or any new technology. It is a problem with how companies are run. The founders who promised to flatten hierarchies now sit behind layers of vice presidents. The mission statements talk about changing the world but the internal memos talk about cost efficiency. The result is a culture of fear. People do not take risks. They cover their tracks.
In the UK, the same pattern shows up in startups that used to be scrappy. Now they hire compliance officers before they hire engineers. The regulator is not the only reason. The boards want predictability. Predictability kills invention.
The fix is not a new tool or a new policy. It is a return to small teams with clear ownership. It is leaders who actually ship code or talk to users. Until that changes, the culture will keep producing mediocrity dressed up as innovation.
Paul