Valve Employee Handbook

Gabe is the first to say that he can’t be right nearly often enough for us to operate that way. His decisions and requests are subject to just as much scrutiny and skepticism as anyone else’s. (So if he tells you to put a favorite custom knife design into Counter-Strike, you can just say no.)

Lol :D
 
While we are at it - Former Quake coder guy`s blog post about working at Valve

Consequently, Valve has no formal management or hierarchy at all.

Now, I can tell you that, deep down, you don’t really believe that last sentence. I certainly didn’t when I first heard it. How could a 300-person company not have any formal management? My observation is that it takes new hires about six months before they fully accept that no one is going to tell them what to do, that no manager is going to give them a review, that there is no such thing as a promotion or a job title or even a fixed role (although there are generous raises and bonuses based on value to the company, as assessed by peers). That it is their responsibility, and theirs alone, to allocate the most valuable resource in the company – their time – by figuring out what it is that they can do that is most valuable for the company, and then to go do it. That if they decide that they should be doing something different, there’s no manager to convince to let them go; they just move their desk to the new group (the desks are on wheels, with computers attached) and start in on the new thing.
 
Sounds like it works well for them because they only hire the absolute best, must be great to be surrounded by incredibly smart and talented colleagues every single day.
 
Sounds like it works well for them because they only hire the absolute best, must be great to be surrounded by incredibly smart and talented colleagues every single day.

At the same time, I'm sure a lot of people join up and spend months wondering around thinking "bloody hell, I'm not smart enough to be here, this is so odd, it's only a matter of time before I get kicked out...".

Sound great though! If only I was a programmer.
 
Also:

Empty Shelf on Fifth Floor —Place we’re planning on putting all those
awards for Ricochet once the gaming world finally catches up with it.

Ricochet always was a bit, err, different. :D
 
It's quite an inspirational read.

Valve is in the rare position of being completely self financed and has no publisher breathing down their necks; that's why this model works for them.

My hat goes off to them.
 
It's quite an inspirational read.

Valve is in the rare position of being completely self financed and has no publisher breathing down their necks; that's why this model works for them.

My hat goes off to them.

Wanna trade that hat? ;):D
 
You have to say VALVe is one iof the best if not the best company in the world... i remember Gabe offering protesters into Valve HQ and bought them Pizza and let them play some beta for a game for a few days. Damn...

I know its not gaming but i believe Pixar studios is the same style of work place, i watched a behind the scenes video and they explained what it was like to work there it sounded incredible.
 
That sounds like one of the toughest places to work. No surpirse they must only hire the most self motivated and talented people in the industry.

Incredible structure, I'm amazed how it all works.
 
I love Valve and wish I worked for them.

I started a new job a couple of weeks ago, not a bit of humour in any of the piles of new starter cr@p I was given, all just dull, boring rubbish no one cares about and no one cares about the company, just getting paid and getting through the week... sad.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom