When I worked there as a developer (early 1990s), it was definitely a very aggressive and focused culture. You had big targets and would get reamed out if you d

When I worked there as a developer (early 1990s), it was definitely a very aggressive and focused culture. You had big targets and would get reamed out if you didn't meet them. But the following day you'd be praised for what you did get done to make sure you knew how much you have achieved - and that often pushed you to meet your targets the following day or so. I liken it today to a perpetual game jam or hackathon. Four months at Microsoft felt like 10 years anywhere else, but no other environment built my skillset as fast, and I have many fond memories of that time and culture.