I'm not sure if you have to go back as far as the savanna for a comparison. I'd regard the lowest level in corporates as servants of the boss, the bosses job i

I'm not sure if you have to go back as far as the savanna for a comparison. I'd regard the lowest level in corporates as servants of the boss, the bosses job is to fight off the other bosses and acquire resources for his people, so that he can acquire more stuff and convince his bosses that he can use the resources more efficiently. Corporates are more a feudal hierarchy, whereas startups I liken to the old guilds of Europe that evolved out of the feudal system, it has been said that programming is one of the few crafts left, and so the comparison may be appropriate. The guilds occurred because the craftsmen had skills that weren't available to all, and so could demand a premium for there services, much like programming (and writing, and graphic design - witness the recent writers strike) Maybe there is a new republic on the way all we need is to lop off the heads of a few managers :-). Let them eat cake!