
Valve's flat structure contains “hidden layer of powerful management” - boynamedsue
http://www.pcgamer.com/valves-flat-structure-contains-hidden-layer-of-powerful-management-claims-ex-employee/
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blakerson
I'm tired of seeing these headlines based on one employee's departure. I'm not
here to defend Valve by any means, but _any_ sufficiently large organization
will have the feature in Ellsworth's words that "it is human nature that they
will minimize the work that they do and increase the control that they have,"
regardless of the structure. With that in mind, I think it's equally naive to
think that (a) Valve has done something wrong with its organizational
structure and (b) any other organization with "more" structure than Valve is
doing something wrong. As much as it's become a line for dismissing people in
Silicon Valley for a variety of reasons, "lack of (cultural) fit" can be a
real thing.

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meesterdude
This is pretty interesting. It's unfortunate she went through such an
experience, but its insightful to see some new perspective on valve's
structure.

Also: there is a difference between fired and laid off, but the article
confuses the two:

> 'Did you hear so-and-so was laid off?' It was someone on our project. I was
> mad. I hopped in the elevator and went straight up to our team - and I found
> Rick, and he said 'I was fired. You too.'

A little disappointed about their bonus incentives, and i think it hurts them
in the long run. Working only on what gets visibility is not how you advance
your field or company. When you've got the capital, you give your people the
freedom to take risks and explore new ideas. Investing in visibility is how
you end up as Microsoft.

Seems like yet another reason to stay small; or at least have a shallow
hierarchy. I don't think a company should ever feel like highschool for
anyone. Or maybe it just needs an element of design and attention, like
anything else that you want to succeed. It's pretty clear what happens when
you let it grow on its own; the same thing that happens everywhere else.

Its understandable she's bitter about it; who wouldn't be if they were driving
a project at a company they liked working for, and then its all uprooted?
Firings/layoffs suck for everyone involved.

Also, good on Gabe for letting her keep the hardware.

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ada1981
Get's downsized and walks away with ownership of the hardware she was
developing within the company and is "really, really, bitter."

~~~
striking
To respond with a quote or two: "I am really, really bitter. Because they
promised me the world and then stabbed me in the back." "I couldn't believe
it. The handbook said that if you get too far off course they will tell you
about it."

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meesterdude
related to company structure, I recently read "Turn the ship around!" and
found it to be a great book on leadership (its Harvard business school meets
the red october, if you're not familiar)

Anyone have any experience with Leader-Leader at a company? I feel like it
would mostly work, but there are some variables I think that might need
attention.

