Valve cultivates the image of a company where anyone they hire can choose to tackle anything they want, but in reality, people who cause extra work for management can be fired without warning. There's a party line and if you veer from that, it is discouraged with one-liners rather than discussion. >The culture at Valve is a bit like a cult.
But if you follow the Valve methodology, keep doing high quality work, and don't rock the boat, you can maintain your job for many years.
Valve is mostly about execution, not new ideas (as seen in the absence of new IPs). It's a shame, because this can put a damper on free-flowing creative ideas. Friendships are sometimes based on trust and who is worthwhile to be allys with. This causes a feeling of paranoia and formality. After work drinks are rare, as people are precious about their reputations. It's a sink or swim feeling most of the time, coupled with hive-mind thinking. >Valve is essentially a popularity contest, where you will do well if you have lots of friends and prove yourself to be intelligent and do good work.
