Whoa! Awesome talk, but he misses the concept of getting credit/fame/legacy. I don't think everyone working on Linux is doing it for autonomy or to enjoy becoming good at something - doing such things to boost your profile is a huge motivator for some people. (It is for me, I'll always turn down better paid opportunities for those that can give me more exposure and that look better in my CV.)
The example he gives of giving people autonomy for a day and them coming back with lots of great solutions seems to rely on the concept of exposure and showing off as much as "autonomy." If you can get a day to make something good and have to show it off at the end of the day, many people are going to be fueled as much by pride and ego as the enjoyment of autonomy.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1357390 <<<-- This one has the comments.
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1360285
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1370134
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1376655
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1383943
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1385999
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1388904
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1389955
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1390588
and there are more, but I ran out of patience.