I think management style can change over time, especially in startups and even in individual managers.

When a company has to face the reality of staying afloat, or when the pressure is on, management ideals and goals can quickly go out the window.

I'd be curious to know what happened to the companies that parent quit.

Exactly. The OP said "after one or two years". That can be a lifetime for an early stage startup. Things change, and every day you're re-signing up for your job by going to work. It can be tricky to evaluate the current landscape objectively and independently of the landscape a year or two ago.

Chances are a year or two ago things were much simpler... There's a fair chance that was because a year or two ago the team was ignoring or just not-expecting the challenges you have today. Startups often mortgage their future this way... Year one is lots of work, but in my career it's never been the hardest part. Not by a long shot.

I think there's a lot of value in being the person who's valuable year three when folks are tired and struggling to find traction and maintain culture than it is to be valuable year one. Being valuable year one is easy, frankly.

That's true... to evaluate companies when the money flow is big is like to evaluate partners when you live in a different house.