Why People Enjoy Working — and why Linux is free
People love to work (well…sometimes)
Linux is a major computer operating system comprising some 27 million lines of code representing thousands of person-years of development — and it’s essentially developed for love and for free.
We work for fulfilment, to achieve a sense of accomplishment, to do something we are proud of. And this is best evidenced by the IT industry’s Open Source movement — software often written by volunteers across the world for no material reward.
Linux underpins much of our corporate computing across the world and is also used in smartphones, TV’s, cars and the Falcon 9 space rocket.
Wikipedia is another example: A free online encyclopaedia — the most-read reference work in history — is written and maintained by thousands of individuals for no reward other than esteem from their peers and perhaps some element of immortality.
So what is it that motivates people who work nine-to-five for a salary to go home and spend their free time applying their creativity for no material remuneration?
Maslow’s motivation pyramid is famous…but does it still relevant? The premise behind the pyramid is that any interruption or disturbance at the lower levels will affect the intensity of motivation higher up the pyramid.
Does this apply to a modern (hybrid) work context? In this context, the model also works the other way around — or upside down. And the answer to motivation lies in the upper levels of Maslow’s motivation pyramid.
The answer is our desire for autonomy, mastery and purpose [i].
Autonomy is the desire to be self-directing, to feel that we are not being controlled by someone else but that we are in control. It appeals to a fundamental longing for freedom that is a part of the human nature. Management is about compliance; autonomy is about engagement.
Mastery appeals to our need for self-esteem and achievement and is the reason that people have creative hobbies such as painting, making music, playing games, or writing and blogging.
Purpose gives us a reason for being, a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Purpose answers the fundamental ‘why’ question. Start with the why, as Simon Sinek says.
There are lessons for the agile organization in following Maslow ‘upside down’ — by encouraging an environment where people have autonomy over their work, enjoy realistic deadlines, can be good at what they do and have a purpose to believe in.
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Article was updated in August 2021.
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[i] Dan Pink gives an excellent talk with RSAnimate on YouTube here. His book on the subject is The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Riverhead Books.
