Apple

You work with some of the most talented and intelligent people in the world who also have "good taste" and an appreciation for beauty and elegance, from the design of the box to software architecture.

Also, it's Apple. Seriously.

The fact that it is such a premium brand, which is associated with innovation, makes it a point of pride to go to work.

These reasons make it worth working there despite the negatives. They give you lots of room to own your work, and decisions seem to come up through grassroots rather than top-down.

While having a large amount of autonomy to direct what you are working on, sometimes it would be nice to have someone make those decisions for you. It's a company for high-flyers who like to swim in the deep-end. While that's invigorating sometimes, it sometimes makes you feel exhausted.

There are no traditional corporate concepts like years-served seniority, etc., which means equal and small severance regardless of your years at the company. This is a bit stressful because, in the event of being laid off, you won't be able to find something that matches the culture and enjoyment.

There's virtually no way to get to the upper management jobs without being a rockstar in some capacity. Usually, once you are in the corporation, you aren't as desirable as outsiders. But at the same time, the people they bring in are actually damn talented. The day Apple starts hiring within to be "nice" to their old employees is the day we should worry.

It would be nice if there were better programs for "grooming" people who want to be rockstars because I feel that with a little bit of guidance, some would be stellar. In reality though, everyone is too busy to mentor/groom others; it's a fast-moving belt that you have to jump on at full speed. I can see both sides.

The bar is high, and some of us weren't born with the talent to be above where we are. We could be rockstars at smaller companies, which might be the proper career path, but the prospect of working with morons (or on a PC) isn't desirable. It's sometimes like being married to a rich and attractive, yet abusive husband.

Continue to always be "principled" – not in terms of good-vs-evil, but rather in terms of always making decisions based upon fundamental tenets set forth by the culture and goals of the company. In other words, don't compromise the vision to pump the stock one quarter. Don't ever just follow the money.