At my last company, I earned myself the unofficial job of Employee Advocate because of this philosophy. The company (which I won't mention by name, but can be easily determined) was set up to be a great place for developers to work, and for the most part succeeded in that goal.

But as time went on, there were some failings in a few areas, so I decided that I would be the one to push the founders to continue realizing their goal. I know I became a thorn in their sides on several issues, but I could also tell that other employees appreciated me speaking up, especially the non-technical staff, which often did not receive the same benefits as developers.

I always figured that if I got fired for speaking my mind on an issue, that would be okay, because it would be a clear indication that the company was too far gone and it was time to leave. Fortunately, for me and the company as a whole, that never happened.

Despite being a thorn, I remained on good terms with the founders. They seemed to understand where I was coming from, even if they did not agree.