STRUCK BY: On Careless People

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Sarah Wynn-William's book on her time at Meta, Careless People, had been making the usual tech-memoir rounds until the day after its publication when an arbitrator ruled that she can no longer promote the book. Meta filed suit alleging that Wynn-Williams violated the non-disparagement agreement she signed when she left the company, and received an injunction until an arbitrator makes their ruling.

I read the book, and it's compelling. It’s also a fascinating look behind the curtain at a company where no one speaks truth to power. Executives regularly let Mark Zuckerberg win at board games and Sheryl Sandberg was obsessed with perception and allowed sexual harassment to run rampant.

I find it somewhat embarrassing to Meta that they’ve sought injunctive relief against the book; Meta’s executives come off terribly and frankly this only makes them look worse. I can see why they hate the book - Sandburg’s reputation in particular takes quite a hit. But rather than focus on what Meta has done since (Wynn-Williams left Meta in 2018) or their growth as leaders, Meta seems to have chosen to go on the attack. By doing so, they seem only to be telling on themselves and their shortcomings.

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