What I learned from a clown about engineering culture
summary
Claim: injecting play speeds up learning and execution and strengthens relationships. Framework: the playstate peach (mission, safety, boundaries) and a simple ritual toolkit (the three PS) get applied in a remote company that grows from 15 to 121 employees. Practical builds: a five‑minute "haircut appreciation" ritual, an All‑Hands timekeeper dubbed the Director of Musical Entertainment who enforces time with songs, and an experiential opener with Frank the bear — these practices measurably improve connection, self‑authorization and problem solving.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00Introduction
- 4:15Clown introduction mattered
- 5:21Engineering culture and play
- 8:12PlayState Peach overview
- 13:52Play and group dynamics
- 15:38Three levels of change
- 19:29Adults need to relearn play
- 20:51Ritual: Haircut appreciation
- 23:00Ritual: Director of music
- 26:34Authentic play without clowns
- 28:24Summary
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