Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#331

Post by foobiekr » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:36 PM UTC

bob33212 wrote: post #187

gumby wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've found FAANG experience typically a negative in hiring. (note: "typically" not "always"). That kind of big company experience doesn't really prepare you for the day-to-day, frantic, resource-starved environment of most startups. The consequence of most decisions is more immediate* -- and can be company-killing. Whereas at any big company there's rarely true pressure (lots of pressure, very much so, but in my gf's…

Very few startups have failed because the coders couldn't solve a algorithms problem in 45 minutes. A lot of startups have failed because the coders built something that didn't have a large market, or didn't compete well with existing competition. The big O of a function matters when you have 100 million users, not so much when you are struggling to get 1 user.

My personal observations tell me that what happens with a lot of ex-googlites specifically is that they go to or found a startup and say something along the lines of “well, first I need to rebuild both on and the other google infra, and then I can finally start working on my business...”

It’s just the wrong mindset.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#332

Post by satokema_work » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:37 PM UTC

nvarsj wrote: post #149

These kind of posts keep making me think I should go work for a FAANG so I can actually retire one day. Anyways, as someone on the other side, who has never worked for or applied to FAANG, I have a few reactions. First, your salary is absolutely ridiculous. I know hard working people who have built their own businesses with blood and sweat, and they still don't make as much as a slacker engineer at FAANG. So I'd say…

I've been told more than once that your average Midwestern software engineer blows your average west coast engineer out of the water, but never seen it elaborated on like this. Tooling does make a great difference - I was shocked when I had a coworker actually speak out against automating mundane git commands.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#333

Post by randomsearch » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:37 PM UTC

agotterer wrote: post #321

randomsearch wrote: post #89

> How do I know what the source of the problem is? You don’t like working for FANG. That seems like a totally normal sane response to me. I’d be more concerned about the people who love that corporate environment rather than those it doesn’t give meaning to. Some people like the security and routine and structure (understandable), some people like the politics (weird), but I don’t think you need to overthink this. Th…

You are touching on something called the "4 pillars of happiness": 1) Having a purpose and meaning 2) Feeling as though you are in control 3) Feeling as though you are making progress 4) Being connected to other like-minded people If you Google it you'll see similar ways of describing the same concept. I've personally used it as a framework in my professional career to help me understand why I'm unhappy. You can then…

That’s great, thanks!

Made me think a lot about number 4 - don’t have enough in my life. Something to work on.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#334

Post by meristem » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:43 PM UTC

Ex-FAANG here. Specifically about 'what the problem is'...Quite often people work to support their lives--in the sense of food on the table/retirement and in the sense of having space and money for intellectual or passion pursuits. You seem to have the food-on-table thing figured out. Do you have an actual fulfilling life outside work that helps create meaning to your work? This meaning may even be "I love work", but feedback loops giving meaning to what we do are key to feeling fulfilled.

What I can tell you is that people more successfully attempt to understand the nature of their crisis _after_ they get out, because the daily grind occupies most of their brain and life. If you can figure out _before_ leaving, however, you can use a few months of work time to appropriately gear yourself to a new endeavour. This may mean leaving your FAANG or changing jobs within it.

Other things to consider: shorter work week, sabbatical, work rotation, shoot the sh*t with an EAP therapist if your FAANG offers HIPAA-compliant services or your own outside person, make your side coding project a new company (your FAANG may have policies about that though).

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#335

Post by KKKKkkkk1 » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:44 PM UTC

imaffett wrote: post #223

I was part of Intel's mass layoffs in 2016. I hated my job at the time, but looking back now I wish I was back in the spot where my compensation was not quite "ridiculous", but great. I went to a startup after and it was terrible. Luckily I've transitioned to the parent company, but it's still not as ideal. Can you deal with it for a few more years? Surely you can get to a point where you can retire early?

Can you add a bit more detail why you did not like the start up?

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#336

Post by sjg007 » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:51 PM UTC

To me, there seems to be a misalignment between your job and your expectations of a job. It sounds like there may be meaning of life questions or at least hidden emotions in this as well so I would go to a therapist to help me figure things out.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#337

Post by handoff » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:54 PM UTC

What do you usually work on? Since you say you’re bored, can you ask to move to another project?

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#338

Post by atentaten » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:56 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #151

72deluxe wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a shame, what would you have done instead? Also, at what age cut-off would you consider it being easier than being labelled "old" ?

"what would you have done instead?" Maybe teach or try to make it as an artist... or try to get in to making movies. I have so many other interests apart from computers. Trying to pursue any of them professionally might have lead to something, and, honestly, maybe I would have burnt out on whatever it was or just failed, but at least I wouldn't have kept banging my head against something I hate and dread over and ove…

> or try to get in to making movies

I'm seriously interested in this. However, I don't see how I can make a living from making movies. What approach or avenues would you have taken for this endeavor?

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#339

Post by wpietri » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

snypox wrote: post #90

wpietri wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Impact on customers is the thing I love as well. I just can't imagine doing a job without it.

Same reason I left my previous company. Working on internal tooling for 2 years are not for me.

Interesting! Could you say more about why? For me, internal tooling can be really fun, in that my "customers" are people I get to see and talk to all the time.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#340

Post by downerending » Wed, Nov 27, 2019, 5:58 PM UTC

I was basically forced out due to my ex flaying me alive in an ugly divorce.

Now a few years later, I'm working at a modest job. It's arguably beneath me (at least in the minds of many here at HN), but there are more interesting technical challenges than there were at the high-paying job. And my boss knows very well that he's getting me cheap, so never gives me any static. I think he'd come mow my lawn if I asked him. :-)

That said, I'm fairly poor now. The most valuable property I own is a four-year-old Chromebook.

Pretty happy, though. There's more to life than money.