Jason M. Lemkin and a colleague debate whether telling teams to enter 'war mode' actually works. Lemkin doubts it changes behavior. The other speaker calls the metaphor odd and culturally tone-deaf, arguing it's just unhelpful.
Does this incitement of war mode ever work? And how did we feel about Sam catalyzing the troops into this proactive state? I don't. I've never seen it work. I want folks of doing this. We've got, you know, all, all the. All the leading public companies say this. We've got to work harder. We're in war mode. It's AI. And listen, I just have always wondered, who are they talking to? Who are they talking to? I mean, there must be a handful of folks that it works on, but who really cares enough to go into war mode? They're already working as hard as they want to be. I've just wondered. It's not to Wall street is the message, I don't think. Right. Is it to let VPs know they're gonna get fired? I just. It's just something that cos wanna say. Right. They wanna tell folks it's time, we've gotta step up. I've just almost never seen anybody react.
To that war mode as a metaphor for rallying the troops. I don't know if it works or not. I always find it a little odd. Have you been in peace mode until now? Did you just suddenly discover there was a war? Right. It raises all sorts of weird questions. I also, for what it's worth, don't love the metaphor. Let's be honest. We're a bunch of pampered west coast elite computer people. If you want a war, the US Marines are still taking applicants and you can have a real war. Otherwise, save the metaphor for someone who cares. So I'm not a fan of the war mode thing. Right. Whether it works or not, in my view, is independent of the metaphor.
