Right, that's a problem with the notion that you should work at a software shop because you're making the product rather than being a cost-center. It might be t

Right, that's a problem with the notion that you should work at a software shop because you're making the product rather than being a cost-center. It might be that way, but not necessarily, as you found. There's no easy heuristic like that to determine what's a good place to work and what isn't, unfortunately.