When I joined Facebook in 2014, I could see that the business regulations were v

When I joined Facebook in 2014, I could see that the business regulations were very loose.

There was no time to go to work and leave work, and it didn't matter if you were working from home or at work. There was no dress code, and there were beer and wine in the office, but you could drink it at any time. The food was free to eat within 10,000 won for breakfast, 15,000 won for lunch, and 20,000 won for dinner, but if it was deemed necessary, you could also claim more than that through other cost items.

What criteria do you follow in determining that it is necessary?

I asked several people, but the answer was 'if it's necessary.' Ordinary companies have monthly welfare benefits multiplied by the number of employees and often use the budget under the approval of the team leader, but Facebook did not have a separate budget regulation. It could be used 'if it was deemed necessary'.

The same was true when meeting advertisers. There was no regulation on how much entertainment expenses could be spent per month or how much at a time. You could use it as many times as necessary and as many times as necessary if you "decided necessary."

The transportation cost regulations were also lax. Again, I was able to take a taxi if I thought it was necessary. It didn't mean that I could take a taxi during the commute time every day, but I could take a taxi if I thought it was necessary for work. It wasn't like I could take a taxi after a certain time, and when I couldn't get a taxi well, I could take an expensive taxi rather than a regular one.

It was not a structure that was confirmed in advance by one's manager and executed the cost, and once each person entered the tool at the end of the month, the relevant department reviewed it and deposited the amount into their account. Vacations could be freely applied within a set number of days, and all they had to do was "share" with colleagues who collaborated with the manager in advance.

There were many parts that could be judged 'voluntarily', and in fact, there were many differences in applying these regulations from person to person. For example, if you went to the office for a while while on vacation and ended up eating with other colleagues, the questions were whether or not you could handle the expenses for lunch at that time. Some people charged, while others did not.

Of course, it wasn't completely without a guide. For example, in the case of an overseas business trip, the economy and business were determined according to the flight time, and the maximum cost of accommodation that could be stayed per day was determined according to the travel area. However, it was very simple compared to the regulations of a general company, and if you added your own cost, you could advance your seat and stay in a better accommodation. You could choose your own flight during the week or on the weekend, and while you were on a business trip, you could take a vacation and use it.

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Instead of loose regulation, there were two principles.

1. Each person makes a judgment.
2. Failure to demonstrate the necessity when a vocation is needed may result in dismissal or other disciplinary action.

If you are not sure, it was recommended to consult your manager, but even in that case, you had to make the final decision yourself.

There were quite a few people who were uncomfortable with the loose regulations. Some argued that the guide needed to be more accurate, but the company's position was consistent. It was that every decision came with responsibility.

Therefore, some people interpreted and applied the regulations as conservatively as possible, while others actively used their judgments. When an official claim came in from the accounting or finance department, they actively explained it, and if it was not accepted, they would leave the company.

When hiring, I thought it very important to see if I was a person who could " judge for myself". Everyone paid attention to hiring people who wanted to ask after being checked out and were concerned about abusing lax regulations. However, the company was aware that not all hiring could be skipped. Nevertheless, I kept the guide as loose as possible.

(Facebook Korea had fewer employees at the time, but the total number of Facebook employees was already far higher than any other company in Korea. It wasn't such a loose regulation because it was a small company. However, I still don't know if it's like this since I left Facebook in 2017 and changed my name to Meta.)

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I remember that time a lot when I went to Facebook and after I left Facebook. I recall how hard the company and its employees worked as a team to adhere to the 'Law of the Minimum Guide'.

No matter how careful you are, accidents will eventually happen. Nevertheless, the guide was always kept to a minimum. I knew that the final decision could be made by the company, not the employee, but the company, but the employees also did not want the guide to be complicated and manualized.

Rather than trying to gain more by confronting the company and its employees, they did their best in their respective positions. There were things I wanted to protect even at the risk of disadvantages.

The guide believed that the less, the better.