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๐ŸŽฎ Valve: The Post-Growth Unicorn โ€” Growing the Commons, Playing the Long Game

Valve is a rare beast: a privately held company that grows slowly and organically, without the artificial boost of outside capital. They nurture a commons of creativity and innovation internally, empowering their teams free from the pressure of quarterly earnings reports.

Their core product โ€” Steam and its marketplace โ€” remains a closed ecosystem, but Valve doesnโ€™t push to maximize short-term profits. Instead, they play the long game, focusing on sustainable value and community-building rather than rapid growth or monopolistic exploitation.

But what happens when Gabe Newell leaves the scene? Can Valveโ€™s culture and approach endure the pressures that usually come with monopoly status? Is their private ownership the secret to resisting the typical fate of large companies?

Do you know other private companies that hold dominant positions yet avoid the usual corporate pitfalls? Share your thoughts!


๐Ÿงญ This is part of a series exploring real-world examples of companies working in a post-growth mindset.

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๐Ÿฆฃ Follow the conversation on Mastodon: @thilosch@mastodon.social