Hey, final update here - I managed to get the game working again! I think a patch came through somewhere that broke something - maybe it was ProtonGE, maybe it was Valve patching Proton Experimental, maybe it was Bethesda putting out something weird in a patch. Regardless, I got a tip that you can upgrade your Linux kernel to 6.5.x, and upgrade to the latest Mesa git drivers. The game is now running smoothly again without any issues on Wayland!
While I think shareholders can be a driving factor, I see it way more often with VC-funded companies. The “2.5x year over year” growth mantra that places like YCombinator stipulate have disastrous effects on small tech companies. Often, these startups have an incentive to keep taking additional funding rounds, which appears to tighten the grip the VC has over them.
Try growing the next Microsoft or Google or Amazon out of that model. I’m not convinced that it’s possible. At least if you bootstrap your own company, you don’t have the same binding obligations…even if it takes way longer to get to a place that’s self-sustaining.