Former Valve Engineer interview

abnewton · 28 Jun 2013 at 12:38

Jeri Ellsworth former valve Engineer talk

Thought those interested in Valves idyllic "working culture" might find this interesting. Starts talking about Valve from about 10:45 mins in if you don't want to watch it all.

agnes · 28 Jun 2013 at 12:43

A little more detail for those at work?

V4NT0M · 28 Jun 2013 at 12:59

agnes said:
A little more detail for those at work?

Here here.

Rezident · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:01

A transcript would be great or maybe some quotes?

abnewton · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:03

agnes said:
A little more detail for those at work?

Its just an interview with Jeri discussing her project since leaving Valve. There was a lot of speculation around the original news story, so thought some way find this interesting. The whole interview is worth watching in my opinion, not just the comments regarding Valve.

kola · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:04

agnes said:
A little more detail for those at work?

should be working & not on overclockers

Southy_ · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:16

Her valve comments are along the lines of:
- Great hardware team (people)
- Valve's philosophy of a flat structure doesn't work in a big company because there are people with power that shouldn't have it
- Communication between areas/departments is nearly nothing.
- They couldn't hire really talented people because the "old guard" didn't think they would fit the culture.
- Lots of drinking Kool-Aid?
- She was fired for trying to do cool stuff, trying to get cooperation from people and ignoring people she didn't like

Tbh she is annoyed because Valve promised her a lot of support and then ignored her in favour of their main business, then fired her when she wanted to do her job.

Nimdok · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:17

kola said:
should be working & not on overclockers

I wouldn't be able to make it through the day without OcUK

agnes · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:29

kola said:
should be working & not on overclockers

Oooo, touché good sir, touché.

But it's Friday afternoon and my boss signed my contractual time sheet which I put down that I'm here till 6 as I want overtime... What does a man do in an office past 1pm? There is lots of technical stuff to be fixed... But the internet.

d_brennen · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:34

agnes said:
Oooo, touché good sir, touché.

But it's Friday afternoon and my boss signed my contractual time sheet which I put down that I'm here till 6 as I want overtime... What does a man do in an office past 1pm? There is lots of technical stuff to be fixed... But the internet.

What are you still doing in the office? It's POETS day!

agnes · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:43

d_brennen said:
What are you still doing in the office? It's POETS day!

Poets day? The eff is that?

*googles*

Well I never, never in my many years of working have I heard that, TGIF, but never POETS.

Sadly, if I were to leave before the hours I set my self officially, I would get a bloody good skinning haha.

Anyway, I'm being paid a large pile of gold to sit here... And I actually have a few things to do and without users in the office pestering me, it makes my life easier.

VoG · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:48

Southy_ said:
- Lots of drinking Kool-Aid?

Figure of speech, she meant that she really bought into & believed the Valve handbook/philosophy.

At least Gabe had the decency to fire staff in person instead of getting some HR minion to do the dirty work for him, & he also give her the entire VR tech project she was working on free/gratis so she could set up her own company to work on it.

Southy_ · 28 Jun 2013 at 13:56

VoG said:
Figure of speech, she meant that she really bought into & believed the Valve handbook/philosophy.

I know, I was making a small joke about american slang

d_brennen · 28 Jun 2013 at 14:02

agnes said:
Anyway, I'm being paid a large pile of gold to sit here... And I actually have a few things to do and without users in the office pestering me, it makes my life easier.

Doing it wrong tbh

VoG · 28 Jun 2013 at 14:02

Southy_ said:
I know, I was making a small joke about american slang

Which rocketed clean over my head without connecting with any grey matter what so ever.

Gimpymoo · 28 Jun 2013 at 14:41

VoG said:
At least Gabe had the decency to fire staff in person instead of getting some HR minion to do the dirty work for him, & he also give her the entire VR tech project she was working on free/gratis so she could set up her own company to work on it.

Gabe for the WIN.

Valve haters trying to twist a "none" story

Judgeneo · 28 Jun 2013 at 14:47

Seems to me that her communication skills weren't good enough to get what she wanted at Valve.

d_brennen · 28 Jun 2013 at 14:50

Gimpymoo said:
Gabe for the WIN.

Valve haters trying to twist a "none" story

The "story" is the hardware lab got canned by proxy, all the staff were booted.

FrenchTart · 28 Jun 2013 at 15:18

Judgeneo said:
Seems to me that her communication skills weren't good enough to get what she wanted at Valve.

What makes you say that? She seems to be communicating well enough in the video and in fact far better than various coders/engineers I've worked with in the past.

McGray · 28 Jun 2013 at 15:28

She is not fit enough for me to consider her opinion.