Former Google communicator releases memoir exposing internal culture and walkout fallout

Claire Stapleton entered Google straight out of college in 2007, describing the job as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rising quickly, she became a key voice in the company’s messaging and later moved to the New York-based Google Creative Lab, which she found both idealistic and unsettling. After a stint on YouTube’s marketing team, she helped organize the 2018 walkout protesting the company’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations.

Six months later, a restructuring led to her demotion, which she interpreted as retaliation, prompting her resignation. Her new memoir, Don’t Be Evil, chronicles twelve years at the tech giant, the cultural contradictions she witnessed, and her subsequent roles writing a workplace advice column and consulting for a venture-capital firm founded by former Googler Bill Maris.