Yes, yes, and we'll all nod and smile in agreement, thinking to ourselves, "Of course I'd be one of the smart ones! What a clever pyramid! How true!"

Everyone does stupid things. The same person could end up in either section depending on when the data was collected.

I understand the diagram to be a joke for people who have worked in large organizations rather than a precise statement about the way things are.

Sure it's a joke, but I expect a lot of people, especially here, will feel self-satisfied at being "in" with the smart people.

If standing on a bunch of peoples' heads makes me smart, sign me up for cheerleading!

Lebedev’s pyramid may be correct in terms of proportion but the structure of the pyramid with said distribution rarely maps to the structure of an org chart.

Agreed. I say it's flipped vertically, balanced delicately on the pointy end of the smart people, with the weight of the others on top, driving the smart into the ground.

Strange that he didn't put himself at the pinnacle of the pyramid. Lebedev is a successful businessman and a relentless self-promoter, but he is widely despised in Russian design circles as a designer. His f#ck-you-all attitude (clearly demonstrated by the poster) doesn't help matters either.

I'm guilty by association? As I said, I thought it was entertaining from the perspective of someone who's worked for a large organization. Everyone does stupid things.

Also note that I posted an article within the same hour that was clearly more thought provoking: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=380023 .

poster |ˈpōstər| noun

1 a large printed picture used for decoration.

• a large printed picture, notice, or advertisement displayed in a public place : [as adj. ] a poster campaign.

2 Computing someone who sends a message to a newsgroup.

Which one is it? ;)

Oh. Heh. I meant the actual "artwork", not you personally :-) My apologies for the ambiguity, it was unintended.

Ha. I wonder if this happens when people speak German.

I think his chart shows why Russia's economy is screwed up. All the criminals (who think they're smart) at the top trying to take advantage of everyone else.

the person who made that must be a real smart ass...