I worked at Intel in 1998 as a young engineer a few years out of college. Back then they were riding high on their CPU monopoly. I left in about a year and a

I worked at Intel in 1998 as a young engineer a few years out of college. Back then they were riding high on their CPU monopoly. I left in about a year and a half and moved to a startup company. My issue with Intel was that, as a monopoly, they had grown fat and complacent. I am not exaggerating when I say that in 1998-99, engineers were working maybe 4-5 productive hours in a week. Political savvy and alliance-building were the most important things for promotions and influence. Those who actually produced good work had credit for their work diluted through many layers of management. You could do something amazing and your manager's manager might present it in a powerpoint to the company without mentioning your name at all, and acting like the idea was his all along. I'm surprised the company has lasted this long. Its a place where mediocre people gather.