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

(qz.com)
581 points antr | 2 comments | 16 Aug 13 12:09 UTC | HN request time: 0.504s | source
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JamesCRR ◴[16 Aug 13 12:55 UTC] No.6223660[source]▶
"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.

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1. Killah911 ◴[16 Aug 13 13:25 UTC] No.6223830[source]▶
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.
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2. eli ◴[16 Aug 13 14:40 UTC] No.6224246[source]▶
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.