The middle management present in most other companies is non existent: so you have to be very self directed. You are expected to work a full billable week for your clients, and then do the Thoughtworks required overhead in your own time. Given that lack of middle management, this can be quite a lot of extra work. There is no real growth ladder outlined for staff members: you are pretty much on your own. The culture of the company is changing: work that they wouldn't have done in previous years due to moral issues is now being accepted.