Google Labs has a unique way of showing appreciation to its most valuable employees, one that involves a bit of mystery and a lot of positivity. According to Josh Woodward, the vice president of Google Labs, the Gemini app, and AI Studio, the team uses surprise meeting invites to recognize top performers. These invites, which appear ominous at first glance due to the presence of multiple leaders with no stated agenda, turn out to be heartfelt sessions where employees are told why they are valued.
Woodward described these meetings as a kind of 'secret society' ritual during an appearance on 'Lenny's Podcast.' He explained that the sessions are designed to celebrate the often unnoticed work behind Google's AI products. Employees are often taken aback when they realize the meetings are not disciplinary but rather a platform for appreciation. Woodward reassures them by starting with, 'This is not a bad meeting. This is a good meeting.'
In addition to these surprise recognition meetings, Google Labs has a tradition of awarding quirky prizes to employees. The 'TPU harvester' award, for instance, includes a miniature rake from Etsy and a cash reward, given to those who optimize Google's AI chips. Other awards include a golden Band-Aid for fixing small product flaws and the 'LLM whisperer' title, complete with giant ears and a mechanical keyboard, for pushing AI models to new capabilities. Woodward noted that these awards are a way to encode value in playful symbols.