[lasereyes136]

Don't romanticize the past. The hacker ethos was alive in only a few companies in the 80s and 90s. There have always been people that want to grad most of the upside of any company or activity.

It can be hard but you should define your values, come up with questions that might show your values at work at a company, and start asking those questions. If a company doesn't want to answer your questions, it isn't a fit. Ask as many people at the company the same questions so you get a variety of answers. See of they have compatible answers, they don't need to be the same as people have different perceptions and ways of expressing themselves but the answers should hang together or they are not telling you the truth.

Many corporate tech jobs are sitting around being a pawn in other people's power games. If you can't accept that, find another place to work.