Of The Mad Genius in tech

Last week, I had stumbled upon the article "Chris Hemsworth Not Interested In Working With 'Mad Genius' Directors" [1] It caught my eye; because I think everyone in the tech industry can definitely relate. We have all worked with or for that 'Mad Genius'.

Chris' quote specifically: "Oh yeah, look, he’s a mad genius. He’s mad, but he’s a genius and he’ll make great films." Everyone in tech has either directly experienced the 'mad genius' or know someone who has. In my case, we got "the pre-warning". The person is special. Person is eccentric. Person can be difficult to work with or work for. Followed quickly by "the promise". The person is a 'genius' and will get results.

Now...I want to share that I actually enjoyed the last movie Chris was in. And to be fair, in reading the article, the situation might have been partially created by the directors. At least two sides to every story. So I will jump to "in my case".

In my case, I had to remind myself:

• Like a film, modern products actually take a cast of talented 'geniuses' to be successful. Not just engineers (but yes, they are 'geniuses'). Marketing and sales to keep focused on the needs of the customer and the world. Manufacturing, procurement and logistics in these trying times. Geniuses.
• Adding a 'mad genius' is no different than adding a new person to the team. In today's modern product, an individual can't do it alone. Team out performs individuals every time [2]. It makes sense to bring those folks in. Understand them for their talents.
• We are here to win together. The best way to win is making sure we take advantage of the full group. Research show that full groups has higher collective intelligence than ones dominated by one or two individuals [3]. The 'regular geniuses' need to make sure our voice is heard.

In the spirit of this Thanksgiving Weekend, thanks to everyone I've worked with in my life. Everyone in the tech is passionate about success. In togetherness, may we endeavor to achieve that old Vulcan/Star Trek salutation: "Live long and prosper."

[1] "Chris Hemsworth Not Interested In Working With 'Mad Genius' Directors", Mr. Milo, Pirates & Princesses, Nov. 22, 2022.

[2] "9 Reasons Teams Outperform Individuals" , Eli Amdur, Forbes Magazine, Nov. 1, 2022.

[3] "Why Do Some Work Teams Outperform Other Teams?", TEN, Jul. 15, 2015.

NOTE: The opinions, experienced, and reactions shared in this article are tied to things I encountered many years ago. Again, if you are in consumer electronics, Live Long and Prosper.