This is a company whose products I've purchased and used for over 20 years. A lot of people I know use them, and they're considered the best in their field.
All of my co-workers had similar experiences with the product, and it's an easy ice breaker to find out their history as a customer of the company.
We all had history enjoying the products my company produces and wanted them to succeed so we could continue to have the products. Now that we're working for the company, we want to do even more to ensure the company succeeds, because that means we'll be able to keep buying their products for years to come.
Productivity is the highest I've seen at any job. Everyone loves what they do. I'm the new guy since I only started a few months ago, but most employees have been there over 10 years. A couple people have been there since the beginning. The company takes care of them and they want to stay, even turning down job offers from other companies.
I find the work I do highly satisfying knowing that I'll be able to reap the rewards as an employee and a customer.
Working in this kind of environment has made me realize that a lot of what makes a job just a job is that the employees have no investment in the success of a company and are alienated.
Sometimes you don't see the results of your labor because it's for a market that isn't in your city or even country. Sometimes you work in a field such as luxury goods where your salary doesn't allow you to actually purchase the products you work on (Such as a high-end watch or luxury car). Sometimes the company you work for is for an entirely different clientele (Such as a man working in a company dealing with women's beauty or clothing).
One of the least satisfying jobs I had was at a medical equipment company that encapsulated all these points. The company was based in my city, but the product wasn't available in my city. In fact, most of the clients were overseas. The product also wasn't for me, as it was tailored to the needs of a specific industry I had no ties to. And the equipment was expensive as hell, something I couldn't afford.
I went to work and kept my head down and did my job, but I had no investment in the success of this company. I had no idea it existed before I started working there, and had I not been paid I'd have no need to even know this company and product existed. What's even worse is I dealt in sales and marketing, so 95% of my job was pretending I enjoyed this product.
I know it's impossible for every person to work for a company that they personally enjoy. But once you do it's amazing.