Here’s how a project starts at Valve. Someone decides to start it. That’s it. They figure out what they think is the best use of their time and energy, what will serve the company and the customer the best, and they do it. How do they get other people to work with them on it? They convince them. If that other person thinks it’s a good idea, they’ll join that team, or “cabal,” as it’s called at Valve. All the hundreds of desks at Valve have wheels. As people start to work together on a project, they literally vote with their desks, moving them into a new configuration.
