First I read James Whittaker’s posting on why he left Google. In short?

The Google I was passionate about was a technology company that empowered its employees to innovate. The Google I left was an advertising company with a single corporate-mandated focus.

That’s sad. I remember when every geek wanted to work at Google because there was such a passion to innovate. The 20% time to develop projects. We saw so many neat things that came from Google Labs, and sure some were failures but that’s how it goes. It seemed like a great place to work. Now? Not so much. If this is what the Google culture is like, it’s the first sign of a failing company. A giant that has lost its way and now will only struggle to maintain its relevance.

The following day, Greg Smith publishes a similar missive in the New York Times about why he’s leaving Goldman Sachs.

To put the problem in the simplest terms, the interests of the client continue to be sidelined in the way the firm operates and thinks about making money. Goldman Sachs is one of the world’s largest and most important investment banks and it is too integral to global finance to continue to act this way. The firm has veered so far from the place I joined right out of college that I can no longer in good conscience say that I identify with what it stands for.

It might sound surprising to a skeptical public, but culture was always a vital part of Goldman Sachs’s success. It revolved around teamwork, integrity, a spirit of humility, and always doing right by our clients. The culture was the secret sauce that made this place great and allowed us to earn our clients’ trust for 143 years. It wasn’t just about making money; this alone will not sustain a firm for so long. It had something to do with pride and belief in the organization. I am sad to say that I look around today and see virtually no trace of the culture that made me love working for this firm for many years. I no longer have the pride, or the belief.

Again, a case of losing sight of doing good things in the world, putting people first, caring about the customer… all in the name of money.

I have no problems with money. I really like it, and would love to have more of it. But money cannot be the goal, for this is what it does.

Two quotes come to mind:

Virtue does not come from money, but rather from virtue comes money, and all other things good to man.

– Socrates

and

Ain’t it funny how that money rots your brain?

– Corrosion of Conformity, “Señor Limpio”

Something to think about.