Engineers can laterally move to more prestigious or challenging projects if they prove worthy based on their skills and connections. One former staffer tells WIRED that this made the company feel like a meritocracy where the best people, and the best ideas, naturally rise to the top.

I am very interested in the culture and psychology of these supposed “meritocratic” companies.

Usually I find these policies, instead of encourages good ideas, just enables a hyper-competitive environment.

These kind of environments usually do not support solid well-thought-out good ideas, but only allows the quick implementation of mediocre ideas. A hyper-competitive environment can also discourage collaboration, which often can be crucial to “solve the hard problems”.

And the article mentions that this environment boosts employee retention, which I find extremely interesting. I wonder if the constant competition can keeps triggering a sense of “winning” and “accomplishment” in a perhaps seemingly mundane job.