โ๏ธ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ, ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐
- Andy Collier
- Jun 6
- 2 min read
โ๏ธ ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ: ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ, ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐
๐ In February 2025, I read the book 'Careless People' by Sarah Wynn-Williamsโan insiderโs account of her time at Facebook (now Meta).
What struck me most wasnโt just the misconduct or moral failures she documentedโbut how deeply misaligned the companyโs internal ideology was with its public narrative.
๐ช ๐ข๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ:
A mission-driven, socially conscious, innovation powerhouse.
๐งฑ ๐ข๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ:
A system ruled by entrenched oligarchs, protected by monarchic control, and propelled by a technocratic machine optimized for engagementโnot ethics.
๐ It was a company that preached openness and connection, yet according to the author, punished dissent and blurred lines between governance and power.
๐๏ธ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟโbut it was corrupted by internal ideology, moral apathy, and unchecked authority.
๐ This ties directly to my recent reflections on corporate strategy:
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ ๐ถ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ปโ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ.
When the internal belief system (culture, power structure, incentives) isnโt aligned with the strategy or values espoused externally, the result is:
โ ๏ธ Misguided execution
โ ๏ธ Ethical drift
โ ๏ธ Erosion of trustโinternally and externally
๐๏ธ Facebook (as portrayed in the book) is a cautionary taleโ A modern-day technocratic theocracy where:
๐ Metrics replaced judgment
๐ง Technocrats ran unchecked
๐ Charismatic leadership took on near-imperial control
๐ค If you're leading an enterprise todayโespecially in tech, finance, or private equityโask yourself:
๐งญ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐?
๐ฃ๏ธ Are you incentivizing courage or compliance?
๐ Are your systems designed for transparency or plausible deniability?
๐ง ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ง๐ต๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต๐:
Ethics, culture, and ideology aren't โsoftโ issues.
They are the infrastructure of execution.
They either reinforce the strategyโor they quietly sabotage it.
๐ฌ ๐โ๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐:
How are you balancing ambition with governance?
What frameworks have helped you institutionalize ethics beyond slogans?
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