Just like the thesis of the slime mold talk, the talk itself is a result of the slime mold and doesn't particularly represent any company-authoritative take on the situation.
Maybe I am stupid, but I cannot make heads or tails of what you're trying to say. I assume it is along the lines of "this document isn't a good representation" but you used so much coded language and obscure references I'm not sure.
Slime molds are a type of organism that can expand quickly as each entity within the mold is independent. As a result, the mold as a whole can resist any one actor being removed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slime_mold
The analogy used by the talk is that a slime mold is the polar opposite of a top-down control hierarchy although I haven't read the whole talk (yet)
Anyway, the commenter is saying that Google (like a lot of tech companies) is comparable to a slime mold in that it's greatly distributed causing it to be closer to "messy and uncontrollable".
In the same breath however, the author of the document is part of said mold acting in their own capacity. By definition, they can't speak for the entire organisation (or necessarily even observe it) because well, it's a slime mold.
they're saying that "slime mold" culture, where independence and initiative are rewarded, it's possible for one employee to write a document like this. The employee can examine and criticize the culture because they have a high degree of independence. The "slime mold" culture is capable of being more introspective than a more "top down" culture can be.
I think they're also saying that the document is written from the POV of a single employee, and isn't the result of a full study/survey of the whole company
I want to congratulate you for being the first googler i've seen on HN to not write "opinions are my own" at the start of every, single, top-level comment
Don't be a jerk -- Googlers posting in forums like that do this for good reason. All Googlers take mandatory training and among those mandatory training courses are all sorts of notes on how not say things in public which could be construed as reflecting on the company. Making it clear "opinions are my own" is CYA, and a completely reasonable one for people who want to keep their job.
(Ref: Used to work at Google. No longer have to cover my ass.)
I'd venture to guess that the OP knows all this (the practice is pretty much self-explanatory) and nevertheless finds the practice risible. It is funny to watch.
Just like the thesis of the slime mold talk, the talk itself is a result of the slime mold and doesn't particularly represent any company-authoritative take on the situation.
It's turtles all the way down!