1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,600 Ever feel like the company you work for today is like a completely different planet compared 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:04,600 to when you first started? 3 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:07,720 Yeah, like it's gone through a whole metamorphosis or something. 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:08,720 Exactly. 5 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,520 And that's what we're diving into today, Akamai Technologies. 6 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:16,840 From its early days as a dot-com era startup back in 99 to the global powerhouse it is 7 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,080 now, should be quite a ride. 8 00:00:19,080 --> 00:00:24,120 And to guide us, we've got insights from Akamai's very own CIO, Kate Prouty. 9 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,680 Pulling back the curtain on what it was really like back then. 10 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:32,600 Seriously, her talk was like, get this, 1999 dot-com boom is in full swing. 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,880 And at Akamai, rollerblading in the office wasn't just allowed. 12 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,320 It was practically encouraged. 13 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:38,320 I know, right? 14 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,280 Talk about a time capsule, but it gets even wilder. 15 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,800 Oh yeah, Prouty doesn't hold back. 16 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:45,800 15 hour work days were totally normal. 17 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,840 They had this Titans Award for people who basically lived at the office. 18 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,000 And the phrase, you are behind, might as well have been their motto. 19 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:54,840 It's almost unimaginable now, isn't it? 20 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:55,840 Totally. 21 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,080 And the funny thing, it's easy to just focus on the superficial stuff. 22 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,160 The rollerblading, the crazy hours. 23 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:05,520 But what I found fascinating was how this whole environment came to be. 24 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,940 Because it wasn't just random, right? 25 00:01:07,940 --> 00:01:09,440 There were actual reasons. 26 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:10,440 Exactly. 27 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:15,080 So beyond the like quirky perks and stuff, what was at the core of it all? 28 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,320 Well, to understand Akamai's culture then, you have to understand the context. 29 00:01:19,320 --> 00:01:25,600 This was a startup, a tiny fish in a huge GE pond fighting tooth and nail to survive. 30 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,280 So it was sink or swim. 31 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,040 Basically speed and innovation weren't just buzzwords. 32 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:31,920 They were essential for survival. 33 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,080 And that's where that always on mentality came from. 34 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:35,400 It was like their secret weapon. 35 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,120 In a way, yeah. 36 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:41,880 And you can see how in those early days, that intensity, as crazy as it seems now, was directly 37 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:43,200 tied to their success. 38 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,480 It's a classic startup story, right? 39 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:51,720 But even back then, Prouty recognized that this pace, this blurring of work and life, 40 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,040 it was exciting, but not sustainable. 41 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:55,040 Exactly. 42 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,240 And that's where we start to see the first signs of change brewing. 43 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:03,080 Because what works for a company in one stage doesn't always work in another. 44 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,040 It's like that saying, what got you here won't get you there. 45 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:07,120 Yeah, exactly. 46 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,840 And that same intensity that fuels the startup's growth can actually become a roadblock later 47 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:12,840 on. 48 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,840 Makes you think about all those companies that didn't make it, right? 49 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:15,840 It really does. 50 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,440 Because to grow, you need to adapt, attract different kinds of talent, and honestly just 51 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,360 prevent your team from burning out. 52 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:24,880 And things definitely did change. 53 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:25,880 That they did. 54 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:27,680 Fast forward to today, 2024. 55 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,920 Akamai is embracing work from home like 80%. 56 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:33,160 They're all about employee well-being now. 57 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:38,080 And the parental leave policies are light years away from where they started. 58 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,080 Something Prouty saw firsthand, actually. 59 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:41,080 Oh, really? 60 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,080 Yeah. 61 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,080 She talks about how she was one of the first Akamai employees to be pregnant while working 62 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,080 there. 63 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:47,080 Wow. 64 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:51,840 And like the difference between the policies then and the support they offer now, it's huge. 65 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,000 It's amazing how much changes even in just a couple of decades. 66 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,000 Right. 67 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,280 Makes you wonder though, was this like a conscious decision they made? 68 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,360 Or were they just forced to adapt like a lot of tech companies? 69 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,000 It's probably a mix of both, to be honest. 70 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:05,000 Yeah. 71 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,000 I mean, think about it. 72 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,360 The entire tech world went through a major cultural shift. 73 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:10,360 Totally. 74 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,200 Suddenly, everyone's fighting for the best talent. 75 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,120 Employee expectations are through the roof. 76 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:16,120 Right. 77 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,680 And the workforce itself is way more diverse than it used to be. 78 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,600 The companies had to get with the times or get left behind. 79 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:23,600 Exactly. 80 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,040 If you tried to stick to those old ways of doing things. 81 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:27,040 You'd be sunk. 82 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,040 Exactly. 83 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,720 So the question is, how did Akamai actually bridge that gap? 84 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:32,720 Right. 85 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,880 Because it's one thing to know you need to change. 86 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,240 Totally different to actually do it. 87 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:37,240 For sure. 88 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,640 But Prouty points to a few things. 89 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:41,580 Strong leadership was key. 90 00:03:41,580 --> 00:03:42,720 They knew they had to evolve. 91 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:43,720 Okay. 92 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:48,000 But the big thing was they were willing to listen to their employees. 93 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:49,000 That's so important. 94 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,000 Right. 95 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,440 Because a lot of times the best ideas come from the people who are actually doing the 96 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:55,440 work. 97 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:56,440 Exactly. 98 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:57,440 They're the ones on the front lines. 99 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:58,640 So they know what's working and what isn't. 100 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,560 And it takes leaders who not only hear that feedback, but actually act on it. 101 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:03,560 Totally. 102 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:05,360 And not just like little surface level changes. 103 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:06,880 We're talking about a complete rethink. 104 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:07,880 Right. 105 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,160 Prouty even says their core values had to evolve. 106 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,160 Yeah. 107 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:16,400 Like in 99, one of their big values was relentless pursuit of results. 108 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,800 Which you know, makes sense in that environment. 109 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:20,800 Yeah. 110 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,520 But later on they changed it to sustainable achievement. 111 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:24,520 Muppet better. 112 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:25,960 I know, right? 113 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,920 It shows they realized that long-term success depends on employees actually having a life 114 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:31,360 outside of work. 115 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:32,360 Exactly. 116 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:37,360 You can't just slap a work-life balance sticker on a culture that used to be all about those 117 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:38,360 crazy hours. 118 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:39,360 Totally. 119 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:40,600 It's more fundamental than that. 120 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:41,740 For sure. 121 00:04:41,740 --> 00:04:44,200 And that's where it gets really tricky for a lot of companies. 122 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:45,200 Yeah. 123 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:47,920 They hold on to the things that made you successful in the first place. 124 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:48,920 Right. 125 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:49,920 The drive, the innovation. 126 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:50,920 Mm-hmm. 127 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,560 But at the same time, get rid of the things that are holding you back. 128 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:54,560 It's like walking a tightrope. 129 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:55,560 Exactly. 130 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:56,560 Yeah. 131 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:57,560 It's a delicate balance. 132 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:58,840 Prouty hints at that. 133 00:04:58,840 --> 00:04:59,840 Yeah. 134 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:02,720 She mentions that there was definitely internal resistance when they started making these 135 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:03,720 changes. 136 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:04,720 Well, yeah. 137 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:05,720 Change is scary. 138 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:06,720 Even when it's a good thing. 139 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:07,720 Exactly. 140 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,560 You're always going to have people who are afraid of it. 141 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:10,560 For sure. 142 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:15,060 In any company, there will be people who see those shifts as a threat. 143 00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:16,060 To the company's identity. 144 00:05:16,060 --> 00:05:17,060 Yeah. 145 00:05:17,060 --> 00:05:18,480 Or even to their own place within it. 146 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:19,480 Which I get. 147 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,280 But you can't just stay stuck in the past. 148 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:23,280 Absolutely. 149 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:24,920 But then there's the other side of the coin too. 150 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:25,920 Which is? 151 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,400 Swinging too far in the other direction. 152 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:28,400 Oh. 153 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:29,960 Trying to please everyone all the time. 154 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:30,960 Exactly. 155 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,160 And ending up with what some people call culture by committee. 156 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,160 Ah. 157 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,260 So instead of a strong culture. 158 00:05:37,260 --> 00:05:39,840 You end up with something that's bland and watered down. 159 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:40,840 Yeah. 160 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:42,760 Trying to be everything to everyone. 161 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,040 And that never works out well. 162 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:45,040 Definitely not. 163 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:46,040 It's like that saying. 164 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:47,040 What's that? 165 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,440 A camel is a horse designed by a committee. 166 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,040 Oh, I like that one. 167 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:52,040 Yeah. 168 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:53,040 It makes me think of this one time. 169 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:54,040 Yeah. 170 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,200 It makes me think of this one time I was at this tech startup a few years back. 171 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:58,200 Okay. 172 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,640 And they decided to try out this whole flat hierarchy thing. 173 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:02,640 Interesting. 174 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:03,640 Yeah. 175 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,000 On paper it sounded amazing, right? 176 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,000 Total equality. 177 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,000 Exactly. 178 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,000 Everyone gets a voice. 179 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:09,000 No more big bosses. 180 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:10,000 Right. 181 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,040 But in reality, it was a total disaster. 182 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:13,040 Oh no. 183 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,720 And seriously, no one knew who was actually in charge of decisions. 184 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:17,720 Yeah. 185 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,800 Projects got bogged down because everyone had to have their say. 186 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:21,800 Wow. 187 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:22,800 It was crazy. 188 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,680 And the funny thing is it actually stifled creativity instead of encouraging it. 189 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:31,080 That's so interesting though, because it shows how even well intention changes. 190 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:32,080 Can totally backfire. 191 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:33,080 Yeah. 192 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:37,320 If they're not implemented really carefully, you can't just like slap a trendy label on 193 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:38,920 something and call it a day. 194 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:40,120 It's so true. 195 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:44,560 And it made me think about something Proudy said about how we can all actually impact company 196 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:45,560 culture. 197 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:46,560 Oh yeah. 198 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:47,560 Even if we're not the CEO. 199 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:48,560 Exactly. 200 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,160 It's easy to feel powerless if you're not in charge. 201 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,160 For sure. 202 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,400 That she has this idea of being an anti-mentor. 203 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:55,400 Anti-mentor. 204 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:56,400 That's a new one. 205 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:57,400 I know, right? 206 00:06:57,400 --> 00:06:58,400 But it's actually really cool. 207 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,840 So instead of just focusing on the people who are doing things right, you also learn 208 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:04,040 from the people who are doing things wrong. 209 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:05,040 Interesting. 210 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:06,040 Yeah. 211 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,840 You observe their behaviors and you're like, okay, I am not doing that. 212 00:07:08,840 --> 00:07:09,840 I like it. 213 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,880 I'm just like learning by bad example. 214 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:12,880 Exactly. 215 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:14,520 And it actually happened to me earlier in my career. 216 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,680 I had this colleague who was a huge e-micro manager. 217 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:20,120 Oh no. 218 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,120 Seriously. 219 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:23,120 He was obsessed with every little detail. 220 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,600 He probably thought he was being helpful. 221 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:26,440 And it probably drove everyone crazy. 222 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:27,640 Oh, totally. 223 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:29,140 It killed the vibe. 224 00:07:29,140 --> 00:07:35,600 And seeing that firsthand made me realize, okay, that is not how I want to lead. 225 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,280 It's amazing how those negative examples can be so powerful. 226 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:39,280 Right. 227 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:45,280 And the thing is by recognizing those anti-mentors and actively choosing to do things differently. 228 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,640 You're actually shaping the culture yourself. 229 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:48,640 Exactly. 230 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,040 You become part of the solution. 231 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,120 It's a good reminder that culture isn't just some top-down thing. 232 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,120 Right. 233 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,160 We're all contributing to it in our own ways. 234 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:57,160 Absolutely. 235 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:58,680 Those little actions can really add up. 236 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,200 I mean, imagine if everyone at Akamai had stuck with that old obstreperous attitude. 237 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:04,200 Yeah. 238 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,520 If no one had spoken up and said, hey, maybe there's a better way. 239 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:08,520 Exactly. 240 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:13,000 Maybe where they are today with such a diverse team and all those amazing products, it's 241 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,000 doubtful. 242 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,000 It really makes you wonder though, right? 243 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,640 Like in a world that's obsessed with hustle culture. 244 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,680 Still glorifying those 80-hour weeks. 245 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,840 Is there even room for a company like Akamai was back in 99 with that whole you are behind 246 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:26,840 mentality? 247 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,780 That's a good question. 248 00:08:28,780 --> 00:08:32,000 Has our definition of success actually changed? 249 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Right. 250 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:38,360 Can a company actually be both high-performing and prioritize its employees' well-being? 251 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:40,600 Or is there always going to be some kind of trade-off? 252 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,960 It's something to think about, that's for sure. 253 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:44,560 And it's not just for tech companies either. 254 00:08:44,560 --> 00:08:45,560 No way. 255 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:48,280 This applies to any industry that's going through big changes. 256 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:49,280 Totally. 257 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:54,240 So as you're navigating your own career path, running into all kinds of company cultures. 258 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,040 Just remember what we've talked about here. 259 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,000 Because challenge equals change. 260 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,500 For companies and for us as individuals. 261 00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:02,920 And on that note, I love what Proudie said at the end of her talk. 262 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:04,680 If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you. 263 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,240 That is so true on so many levels. 264 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:08,240 It really is. 265 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,080 That was our deep dive into Akamai's transformation. 266 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:12,080 Super interesting stuff. 267 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:13,080 It really was. 268 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,120 But remember, this is just one company's journey. 269 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,400 So take a look around at your own work, your own industry. 270 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:21,280 What challenges are you facing? 271 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,080 And how can those challenges actually be opportunities? 272 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,120 Something to ponder as you head back out into the world. 273 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:28,040 A little wiser, hopefully. 274 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:38,720 And maybe even inspired to make a difference yourself.