Being nice is indeed the classic startup strategy. Then they grow up. More people come knock on the door. Other people go away. And the company becomes the only thing it can become. Another corporation, acting like a corporation. Of course, there are exceptions. Apple is one to me. But even they, slowly are reversing to the mean over time.
PS: Please don't gimme the sweatshop talking point, that's BS propaganda for an outsourcing partner that powers literally most of Fortune 500, yet somehow it's always Apple's fault.