I was about to say the same thing about Valve before I got the comments section :) Also, very much agree with letting the talented do their thing as long as wisdom is also apparent. Allow them to infect each other with their enthusiasm and they will innately work together to build something great. Someone who is chained to something is not going to have that enthusiasm and will typically make that known through their mood and action, if not through complaining. A poor mood is just as infectious as enthusiasm.
My sentiment is that hiring talent and then weighing them down with excessive restrictions and bureacracy is like buying a Ferrari and driving it 55mph during the daily commute. Why waste the money on that HP, when you can get a cheaper vehicle. Let the Ferrari's drive; hire a Civic if that is the kind of work you are going to give it :)
>hire a Civic if that is the kind of work you are going to give it
I think people don't necessarily understand the motivations of many people in management positions. They do not care at all about performance or getting to the destination. They want to be seen in a Ferrari. Many didn't earn their positions, suck at their jobs, and will spend the company's money freely to promote their careers. They are like lottery winner who are just hiring expensive top people without a plan or experience to put one together. All they want of the world, all they want, is to impress their bosses and get promoted. Nothing else matters to them, period. To them, software is simply one part of the business that is a means to move up the corporate ladder. Excessive restrictions and bureaucracy don't matter in this environment because the developer's job is simply to boost the profile of their PHB.
My sentiment is that hiring talent and then weighing them down with excessive restrictions and bureacracy is like buying a Ferrari and driving it 55mph during the daily commute. Why waste the money on that HP, when you can get a cheaper vehicle. Let the Ferrari's drive; hire a Civic if that is the kind of work you are going to give it :)