Remember that part about having a purpose and and impact? On a company-wide level, there is very little to no talk about a big strategic direction or purpose. There are no clear company goals or objectives from month to month, quarter to quarter, or year to year. There is no vision or impact statement that bridges all of the amazing work here together, and not a clear sense of what the company wants itself to be, or what it aspires to be. Making the problem worse is that there is little communication from management on updates or progress in Vulcan's initiatives or what it may mean for the company. Priorities shift without a clear articulation from management on why.
So while in each individual job or group one can sense an inspiring purpose in their work, on a company level there just seems to be a random hodge-podge of work and initiatives that Paul Allen happens to be personally interested and invested in at any given time. Which is as it should be, of course, but without some type of underlying grand purpose or vision, there will eventually be a difficult time establishing any meaningful post-Paul legacy.
Career-wise, this probably isn't the first place you'd want to consider if moving up the ladder is most important to you, because there isn't much of a "natural" career progression at this company. Think of Vulcan as a great place to do one-of-a-kind work and projects, and as a place where you can conceivably have a big impact if you have great ideas, and the will and dedication to follow through and execute on these ideas. A resume-booster, if you will.
