Google Hive Mind, RLST 245

In Douglas Edward's book I'm Feeling Lucky, he makes an interesting analogy of Google's server data center. He says "Where other cages were right-angled and inorganic, Google's swarmed with life, a giant termite mound dense with frenetic activity and intersecting curves" (21). Naturally, this is an amusing characterization of Google's personality and practices. But it a sound comparison if one actually compares Google to insect societies, and provides insight as to Google's success overall.

First, Google's use of their data center reflects their philosophy that making more of less reliable things is better than fewer of more reliable things, because it can be easily replaced and gradually improved upon. Similarly, insect colonies are designed to provide for high volumes of individuals. While each individual insect is on her own fragile and inefficient, by producing more of them, they can easily replace individuals that die or are injured.

Second, Google's headquarters, the Googleplex, is a low and sprawling campus that optimizes employees access to important services. Likewise, the Googleplex provides exercise rooms, cafes, and all sorts of fun and creative areas, making it so that work is fun, easy, and employees are always within close proximity of things that will help their creativity and productivity while keeping them relaxed and at home. In a similar way, insect societies organize their colonies into an intricate but efficient network of rooms organized by purpose. Additionally, ants hold nutrients in a second stomach that they volunteer to any sister that is hungry or weary.

Third, the political structure of Google is relatively flat. With each employee dynamically focusing on things that they believe need to be done instead of seeking direction from upper management, means that employees are expected to have more initiative, be more competent, and have a greater variety of talents. Insect societies are very similar. A common misconception is that the queen of an ant colony is a leader. In fact, the queen makes no decisions after starting a colony, and each worker and soldier reacts to situations based on the reactions of her sisters. If an ant finds food, she alerts other workers and together they retrieve it without seeking direction. Everything is achieved through personal initiative that results in a cascade of cooperation from other available workers.

So this comparison to termites only serves to highlight how Google has achieved its success through strength in numbers, replaceability, social optimization, and personal initiative.