You only missed the part where members are isolated from friends, family and others who might point out that "this isn't really a good thing." What you listed is necessary infrastructure, but the isolation is the key to making any cult work, and it's why deprogramming is a thing, or at least a meme.
They uprooted everyone and moved to Vegas, leaving behind friends and family, and ensuring everyone who moved only knew Zappos people when they landed there. Maybe it's not a boat in the ocean level of isolation, but it is isolation. One startup founder who moved his startup along with Zappos (it was a multi-startup move, kinda like a corporate migration) eventually committed suicide...
>One startup founder who moved his startup along with Zappos (it was a multi-startup move, kinda like a corporate migration) eventually committed suicide...
As I read this, the sibling comment immediately under yours[1] is talking about the Zappos move to Vegas, and how it resulted in your colleagues being your support group, and you theirs...
I haven't heard of any isolation at Zappos ...