Philip Rosedale's Return as Linden Lab CEO Anticipated by His Movie Management Advice

When I first got early word last week that Philip Rosedale would return to Linden Lab management, I assumed it would be in some kind of part-time advisory capacity. Then I remembered something he had written a couple months ago, and I suddenly realized: No, he's probably going all the way. That helped me confirm with my sources that he was indeed returning as Linden Lab's CEO.

What was it I read? Why, Philip Rosedale's Movie Management Advice, posted on the blog of his new company, LoveMachine. This is Philip's advice for fellow company executives, based on scenes from great films; one of them is taken from a moment in Apocalypse Now:

"Never get off the boat, unless you're going all the way." That's what Martin Sheen's character tells a crew mate, when the dude foolishly endangers everyone with an ill-advised side trip.

Philip Rosedale's take from that line:

"The usual behavior of a company is to wander half-heartedly into areas where it will not try hard enough to really succeed... Everyone is involved, but no one is committed. [Instead]... Say no to everything. Take shortcuts. But when you decide to get off the boat, know that you are going in the water, and play only to win."

More compelling advice here, from whence the image above comes. (And no, the Apocalypse analogy does not at all suggest M Linden is Colonel Kurtz to Philip's Willard, it's a reference to an earlier scene.) Just surprised Philip's such a big fan of David Lynch's Dune. (He's quoted that crazy car-wreck of a movie before.)

Comments

[Frans Charming]

Ah good find, I was reading up on his blog too this weekend, but it didn't connect for me.

+1

[Vooper Werribee]

Did someone say 'Dune'? Splintered Rock - the infamous Dune Roleplay sim that Hamlet reported on a while back, is still going - and now spans 5 regions! Now I'm rather keen to have a Dune fan as CEO :)

[Melponeme_k]

Apocalypse Now...

That tells me all I need to know. Not to mention the fact that the quote signals to me that he misunderstood the entire film.

I don't remember "Dune", in fact, I've tried to forget it (both film and book). What I do remember was that "Twin Peaks" guy running around with crazy eye contacts.

[Ignatius Onomatopoeia]

"Mr. Kurtz, he dead."

Don't forget "Heart of Darkness," while we are being movie and book geeks.

[World Turtle]

“GOOD NIGHT, WESTLEY. GOOD WORK. SLEEP WELL. I’LL MOST LIKELY KILL YOU IN THE MORNING.”

Hmm, prophetic?!

[Extropia DaSilva]

Let us hope that, faced with SL's ongoing problems, Philip does not end up in some dark space intoning 'the horror!.....The horror!'.

[Extropia DaSilva]

Let us hope that, faced with SL's ongoing problems, Philip does not end up in some dark space intoning 'the horror!.....The horror!'.