GitLab is a great example of a lifestyle company that should have never become a public corporation.

So much this. GitLab’s values and ethos were completely incompatible with becoming a public company. Sid is always seen as the good guy but it was his narrow minded greed that led here.

Could have been a B corp perhaps

how exactly was it incompatible and why do you thikn you know better

They have almost a billion dollars in revenue

Aha, it's public. That explains the inflated employee count. Same story every time.