Factory Hate Alert - Seth's blog

Seth Godin's blog has a lot to say on the nature of work. Here's a post on a factory versus a studio:

The boss in a factory relies on compliance. More compliance leads to more profits. Do what you’re told, faster and cheaper, repeat.

This is the history of the twentieth century.

At Seth's blog, factories are maligned. It's "okay" to choose to work in a factory, which to him means being a mindless cog in a machine or being a barking overlord in charge of some cogs. If you read his posts consistently, it's clear that he thinks this isn't work that really matters. It's outdated and not worth considering as a valuable contribution to modern times.

For those of us that:

1. Run factories, no matter how big or small, and

2. Care very much about the nature of our work and the quality of our products, and

3. Care very much about our workers and trusting them to make decisions and contribute materially to the business beyond doing exactly as they are told,

this constant factory hate can feel harsh. If that describes you, welcome, let's talk about how to make factories better.