Thinking for yourself in Silicon Valley is nigh impossible these days without becoming a disliked outcast. If you even question the legitimacy or viability of a

Thinking for yourself in Silicon Valley is nigh impossible these days without becoming a disliked outcast. If you even question the legitimacy or viability of a potentially flawed mission or irony in company values, experienced startups will manage you out silently and tactfully. In some of the worst places, you'll also get treated poorly and excluded so that you leave. Company values really are just words on a wall in pretty much every company. I don't think you will find a single company where the values aren't silently broken by leadership and management. The best companies have ways of hiding this through shallow apologetic acts (e.g. self-washing on social media). I've seen this happen to plenty of people who found out something they shouldn't have, at companies who would otherwise appear like great places to work.