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Worth bearing in mind that she's not an isolated case. A lot of talented people have unexpectedly left Valve recently. There's a possibility that Valve's cult
by moomin 13y ago
Worth bearing in mind that she's not an isolated case. A lot of talented people have unexpectedly left Valve recently. There's a possibility that Valve's culture is failing.
- Ygg2 13y agoMaybe they are approaching limits of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number.
- epsylon 13y agoAt 300 people, they are well above that limit. See my other comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6018134 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6018134
- Ygg2 13y agoYeah, I heard they are 400 person strong a bit later. And was thinking of updating that comment, but too late. Maybe split into two flat structures with two benevolent dictators. I think what they should keep is their focus on making developers feel like at home, which Gabe so far did masterfully (he keeps moral high, he gives people what they want even in face of fire, etc.).
- Zikes 13y agoI suspect it's more an issue of critical mass. A "flat" culture like that can probably only grow so large and remain stable and cohesive. Without the leadership and direction that even a minimal hierarchy could provide, they can't afford to branch out to such an extreme degree as what her AR project would require.
- vbl 13y agoI'd add that trust is a critical component of flat structures. If you lose it, or feel threatened and react accordingly, it shifts power around in a way that will ultimately unbalance the ship.