OLPC is a lost cause. It’s amazing how an otherwise interesting project with headline-grabbing mission could spiral out of control with disastrous results. The project has always had noble intentions. I can’t fault it for that. Any time an organization is giving back to the community and contributing back to society, it’s a good organization in my book. However, the management is ludicrous. Not only did it not realize the magnitude of the ramifications for changing its mission, but it couldn’t pinpoint its ultimate desire either. The latest is its search for the CEO to run OLPC as a non-profit business, similar to Microsoft. Great aspirations!
Seriously, Microsoft is what it looks up to? Good luck with that! How about Google? After all, it’s a well managed company with record performance and brilliant talent. I wouldn’t be so ignorant as to dismiss Microsoft completely, but it isn’t what it used to be. So, really, let’s try to steer this in the right direction, if nothing else.
Then comes another gem. “Management, administration, and details are my weaknesses. I’m much better at the vision, big-picture side of the house,” CEO Nicholas Negroponte told Businessweek. He adds that he’s looking for someone who will “view the world as a mission, not a market.” He’s really annoying with his ignorant statements and unnecessary disputes with others (remember his back-and-forth conflict with Intel?). And would he please stop harping about the vision already? We get it. The world gets it. You want to provide access to technology for unfortunate, resource-lacking children. Now, leave. Your job is done, and you are just making the entire OLPC team look like a bunch of miserable, conflict-loving superstars.
Not to mention, what’s up with “view the world as a mission, not a market” statement? You can’t be serious. Any self-respecting CEO must look at it from a capitalistic standpoint and that means looking at, defining, and analyzing markets. Globally, everything must be divided into markets to make OLPC a successful, non-profit business. How difficult is that to understand? At least he’s right about his weaknesses. I feel sorry for the CEO that comes on board and shares responsibility with Negroponte. He’ll ultimately get in the CEO’s way and end up hurting OLPC.
My recommendation to OLPC: Let’s thank Negroponte for his contributions and wave him good-bye. His needs a permanent break before he runs OLPC into the ground with his silly and contradicting comments and vision.
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