Talent is not the issue, motivation is.
The communist countries never lacked talent, they had brilliant scientists and brilliant engineers and brilliant inventors and not doubt brilliant entrepreneurial minds, but no one is actually going to use their talent and work hard if everyone is getting the same compensation regardless of effort and result.
A lot of people are being paid somewhat more than they would command at a similar company. Don’t kid yourself, they know it well. They don’t want to lose a job like that.
IE,, motivation ensues.
I know its not popular, or the focus of that article, but I bet you could just as easily find most employees there who got a big bump would do anything that owner asked them to.
People will do a hell of a lot for someone who values them and takes care of them well. It happens in the Marines every single day.
It didn’t happen in soviet factories so much.