Google’s “20% time,” which brought you Gmail and AdSense, is now as good as dead

"if 20% time has been abandoned at Google, are other companies, which reportedly include Apple, LinkedIn, 3M and a host of others, wise to continue trying to copy it?"

That's incorrect, AFAIK 3M were the first company to pioneer this approach (with 15% of time spent on self-directed projects).

For example see: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663137/how-3m-gave-everyone-day...

Talking to a friend at 3M (who has been there 20+ years, an engineer with dozens of patents) I am told that while 15% officially still exists, for a long time it's effectively meant working 115% of hours.

Nonetheless the tradition allowing self-directed research continues at 3M - and this might mean using lab resources, or creating prototypes without getting approval.

> Nonetheless the tradition allowing self-directed research continues at 3M - and this might mean using lab resources, or creating prototypes without getting approval.

And get hours paid for it, even it being extra hours you wouldn't do other way.

The author needs to google 3M an find out actual facts. It's like Google came up with it and Everybody was in a mad rush to copy it. God forbid, innovative ideas come from anywhere else but the companies we perceive to be the most innovative. Google was keen to adopt the practice that's worked well elsewhere and they seem to be focusing on other methodologies now, maybe they're figured out something that works well for Google NOW. It doesn't make 20% time more or less effective. It's just how companies evolve.

"And get hours paid for it,"

I don't work there, but I feel pretty safe in saying 3M researchers are not hourly employees.

I offered 20% time to my team and only about 5% of them ever wanted to take advantage of it. I wanted a higher percentage of time spent thinking outside the box so I ended up creating a formal "innovation" group, through which individuals are cycled based on ideas, needs, and desires.

That strikes me as very reasonable. 20% (15%, whatever) time is largely self indulgent plus self education. I have no problems with being expected to supply that initiative. I've done it before, and invented products that the company ended up selling (until I realized the only payoff in this case was a "we'll compensate you for this later, trust us" - I'm not talking about any company discussed here, btw).

This way it is not goof-off time as it will not attract anyone except self-starters and thinkers, but the company is providing intellectual and material resources. You get to have fun, rejuvenate yourself on the job, the company contributes some, and maybe, just maybe, you hit the jackpot at some point. If not, well, you learned some stuff and had fun.

Agreed, it's a silly question even if it were true that Google invented the idea. I do not get the impression that Apple is a company that mindlessly copies R&D strategies from Google.

But it could correspond to other benefits such as applying the time towards paid time off or something like that.