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That explains what exactly? You should never allow a culture where one employee departure can endanger the whole project.

It suggests that Microsoft had such a culture, at least at the time.

I think that in reality most companies (up to a certain size) or projects have people that are pivotal, enablers or highly influential. Not only charismatic leaders but also technical wizards, etc.

They might not be irreplaceable but they might be hard to replace, and if they leave in the wrong moment, it could jeopardise everything.

I guess having a management team made up of several Steve Jobs might arguably feel safer for the share holders, but it's probably hard to find them and make it work.

There are risks to manage; For instance, treat them nice so whole teams won't quit in rage. Treat the unicorns even nicer.

> You should never allow a culture where one employee departure can endanger the whole project.

And yet, in practice, that's how the majority of shops are run.

Tell that to Apple. :) At certain level, very good people make a big difference day to day with their leadership, vision, political prowess, technical ability, etc. Losing them DOES damage that no plan B can cover.

any reference i could read for this matter?

Who was this?