this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2025
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And being run by a person who, despite many flaws, has chosen not to chase infinite growth and has not taken his company public. Imo this has protect led them from the worst of enshittification (for now).
We can only hope Gabe has played enough crusader kings to understand the importance of heir management.
His son is part of a VR game-dev/publishing company. So, some familiarity with the practical side of the business at least. Better than most heirs.
Though, I do wonder if there will be an heir. On the one hand you hear about the flat management structure, but on the other you also hear that the culture is very in-group and clique-y (which, on the other other hand, is also what someone says when they just don't know how to work politely with others). Maybe son-of-Gabe quickly gets installed as a figurehead and everything continues as it did. Or maybe the whole thing splits open and becomes very very messy.
That's something I've oftened wondered about. I feel like interviews with former employees often reference toxic culture and things, but then when they cite specific examples it rarely sounds like harassment and more often sounds like just not meshing into the way a team works. I obviously want to give potential victims the benefit of the doubt, but I do also wonder what portion of them just couldn't handle a high expectations low restrictions environment and find a team to slip into. Which isn't a personal failing or anything of course, I know myself I may not thrive in that kind of environment, but it just makes me wonder how much of the "clique" culture is overblown.
My gut says that "toxic work culture" and "flat management structure" would not be a particularly stable combination. Like, you might get a few years out of it, but decades? Seems unlikely.
Still, one of those interesting questions that we may never get a proper answer on.
What is a clique if not a vanguard you merely don't like?