Part 2/11:
Back in the 2000s, tech companies like Google and Apple fostered environments where engineers and designers had freedom to explore ideas simply because they found it fun. Google, for instance, encouraged employees to spend 20% of their time on side projects, leading to products like Gmail and Google News—hacks motivated by curiosity rather than KPIs. Apple introduced real-time camera effects on Mac not because they were necessary but because they seemed fun to include, enriching user experience with playful visuals.