That said, I don't think I could ever go back to reporting to a manager, especially a non-technical manager.
After working in a flat organization (I'm 99% sure we're talking about the same place here) like we do/did, I agree. It's amazing how much more productive you can be (provided you're a generally high-aptitude, motivated person to begin with) when you are left alone to do what needs to get done. I'd prefer only to work in similar organizational structures from now on. In my experience, even the little cliqueyness you get is hardly an argument against the alternatives (rigid organizational structure, difficult to move vertically, documentation, all the waterfall stuff, and/or the domineering personality of a god-complex startup founder)
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After working in a flat organization (I'm 99% sure we're talking about the same place here) like we do/did, I agree. It's amazing how much more productive you can be (provided you're a generally high-aptitude, motivated person to begin with) when you are left alone to do what needs to get done. I'd prefer only to work in similar organizational structures from now on. In my experience, even the little cliqueyness you get is hardly an argument against the alternatives (rigid organizational structure, difficult to move vertically, documentation, all the waterfall stuff, and/or the domineering personality of a god-complex startup founder)