I worked at Google for almost a decade. Its problem is bureaucracy — not hybrid working.

• Eric Schmidt said Google was falling behind due to remote working, but later walked back his comments.
• Jordan Thibodeau, who worked at Google for nearly a decade, said Schmidt's comments were out of touch.
• The former HR manager, who left Google in 2020, said bureaucracy was to blame for Google's problems.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jordan Thibodeau, a former Google and Slack employee who co-hosts the SVIC podcast.

I worked at Google for 10 years, and it was the greatest opportunity in my life.