Why Valve? Or, what do we need corporations for and how does Valve’s management structure fit into today’s corporate world? Why Valve?
Or, what do we need corporations for and how does Valve’s management structure fit into today’s corporate world? You have read Valve’s survival manual for new employees. You have read Michael Abrash’s wonderful account of working at Valve. Now read my political economy analysis of Valve’s management model; one in which there are no bosses, no delegation, no commands, no attempt by anyone to tell someone what to do. Can useful lessons be drawn about not only Valve’s inner workings but, importantly, regarding the future of the corporate world? Contents Introduction: Firms as market-free zonesThe wheels of change: Valve’s ultimate symbol of an alternative ‘spontaneous order’What are corporations for? 1. Every social order, including that of ants and bees, must allocate its scarce resources between different productive activities and processes, as well as establish patterns of distribution among individuals and groups of output collectively produced. 2. 3.
Adam Smith Karl Marx 4. 5. Do What You Love. A good third of the mountain of mail I’ve gotten since my first post has been of the general form: “What should I study in college/learn to do/work at to get hired at Valve/have a good career/have a good life?”
The most useful response I have is drawn from my own life: Do what you love. There are no guarantees, especially in the short run, about where that will lead – but at least you’ll enjoy the trip, and it is likely to lead to exciting things. It is true, however, that it can take a while; consider my own long journey to being a full-time programmer. In 1975, I was a freshman at Clark University with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Dick had the habit of writing each homework assignment on the blackboard (this was before whiteboards) at the start of the class that covered the relevant material for that assignment.
That summer, I decided to stay on campus, so I had to take a class. That was just the start for me and the VIP, though. VALVe : le livre "handbook for new employees" qui révèle tout. Une aventure audacieuse pour apprendre quoi faire quand personne ne vous dit quoi faire. ...
C'est peu ou prou le sous-titre de la page de garde d'un bouquin interne de VALVe distribué aux nouveaux employés de la société : le "Handbook for new employees". L'ouvrage s'est retrouvé sur le net par ce qui semble être une fuite, ce week-end, et a depuis été lu par beaucoup de gens extérieurs à la société. Depuis authentifié, sa lecture a de quoi faire couler de l'encre car il croque une image de VALVe à l'opposé de toutes les sociétés du secteur, et d'autres secteurs, d'ailleurs. Un véritable image de kibboutz dont on a du mal à croire qu'il puisse fonctionner correctement.
Pour faire simple : Il n'y a pas de hiérarchie à VALVe. Et, bien sûr, la lecture de ce Handbook, au-delà de son côté fascinant et instructif, est aussi un bon moment de rigolade, tant il est emprunt de l'humour typique de la société, qu'on retrouve dans ses productions.