Ex-Google Executive Shares 3 Life Lessons After 12 Years With Tech Giant

Frederik Pferdt spent 12 years at Google, serving as its inaugural Chief Innovation Evangelist in California. Before leaving in 2024, Pferdt established the tech giant’s Innovation Lab and co-founded the Google Garage, initiatives that encouraged thousands of employees to explore new ideas.

Reflecting on those years with CNBC Make It, Pferdt explained how they transformed his approach to work and daily routines, contributing to the development of an innovative culture within the company.

In his recent book, ‘What’s Next Is Now: How to Live Future Ready‘, Mr Pferdt shares three key lessons that extend beyond tech workers, aiming to help anyone “lead a more meaningful life.”

1. Embracing a ‘Yes, and’ mentality: People often have a pessimistic view, focusing on reasons why something won’t work, according to [speaker’s name]. He explains, “We spend most of our time shutting down ideas with ‘no, but,’ right?” He proposes a shift in mindset, adopting a more positive “Yes, and” approach. This approach, inspired by improv theatre, can significantly improve communication and team dynamics. Instead of shutting down ideas, “Yes, and” encourages building upon them, fostering creativity and collaboration.
2. Visualize your future self- Having spent a decade as an adjunct professor of design thinking at Stanford University, Pferdt noted that Google’s leadership advocates envisioning an ideal, successful version of oneself and then mapping out practical steps to achieve that vision. “Really try to envision how you want to be in the future,” he told CNBC Make It. “That is very powerful, because that really helps you with understanding where you actually want to go and influences your choices in the moment.”
3. Spend time with yourself- Google has consistently promoted meditation among its employees and has provided mindfulness courses. Pferdt emphasized that daily meditation helps him stay receptive to new ideas and avoid negativity.

“From time to time, spend time within yourself,” he added. “It is really critical, because otherwise you’re just driven by your autopilot and your reactions instead of your responses. Our reactions are usually negative, they’re closed, they’re non-empathetic, they’re full of hate [and] blaming. Moving away from these is only possible if you do mindful practices.”

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