Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Inside Palantir

buzzfeed.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 319 posts

Re: Inside Palantir

#111

Post by rboyd »

KKKKkkkk1 wrote: post #106
callmeed wrote: post #60

My understanding is that Palantir is running an engineering mill/sweatshop using fresh out of school CS grads (particularly from Stanford). That much of their time is spent simply writing client-specific code that imports and cleans up data from disparate enterprise systems. That its not challenging, innovating, or exciting. Of course this is all anecdotal based on what I've heard from friends and a Palantir engineer…

Is Stanford CS grads working in sweatshops really a thing? Glad I didn't go to Stanford!

We really dodged a bullet.

Re: Inside Palantir

#112

Post by mulcahey »

batbomb wrote: post #92
callmeed wrote: post #60

My understanding is that Palantir is running an engineering mill/sweatshop using fresh out of school CS grads (particularly from Stanford). That much of their time is spent simply writing client-specific code that imports and cleans up data from disparate enterprise systems. That its not challenging, innovating, or exciting. Of course this is all anecdotal based on what I've heard from friends and a Palantir engineer…

A few years ago I sat in on a CS course at Stanford and was able to count 4(!) identical palantir t-shirts on the same day. It was ridiculous, I probably have the picture somewhere.

Maybe because they recently had a recruiting event and handed out shirts?

Re: Inside Palantir

#113

Post by swingbridge »

Saw the aftermath of a Palantir project after the client parted ways with them. What a train wreck. There was a lot of hype around them but when one looked deep into what they actually did it was a lot of smoke and mirrors and not a lot of substance. Even basic stuff like data cleaning and integration was poorly executed. Senior leadership didn't see value in what Panintir did, the project was cut off and they were asked to leave.

Not surprised in the slightest to hear they are struggling.

Re: Inside Palantir

#114

Post by highsea »

mulcahey wrote: post #112
batbomb wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A few years ago I sat in on a CS course at Stanford and was able to count 4(!) identical palantir t-shirts on the same day. It was ridiculous, I probably have the picture somewhere.

Maybe because they recently had a recruiting event and handed out shirts?

I got a tshirt at the techto meetup here in Toronto a few months ago.

Re: Inside Palantir

#115

Post by untilHellbanned »

MattLaroche wrote: post #101
freyr wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You hear quite a bit about Bay Area companies paying top dollar for fresh CS graduates from top ranked schools. I wonder what compels a Stanford CS grad to take a job doing non-exciting work with a company that prides itself on paying below market rate. Maybe it's the code names?

I quit Palantir after 6 months in 2011; I am a CMU CS grad and I worked at Google for 5 years before Palantir. Their pitches of "We only hire the best and brightest" and "Our work truly changes the world" sold me on them.

Pretty lame pitch. Yeah help coca-cola sell more sugar water. I guess that does change the world.

Also best/brightest worship needs to stop. It correlates to nothing. This coming from MIT/harvard grad.

Re: Inside Palantir

#116

Post by quanticle »

ruraljuror wrote: post #90
DasIch wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buzzfeed is shaping up to be the one of the best sources for investigative journalism. Who would have thought?

I believe the New Yorker did a piece about building up their news department, which included hiring a couple of Pulitzer winners to the staff, but I don't seem to be able to find the article.

It might not have been the New Yorker, but rather the New York Times. Is this the article? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/business/media/buzzfeed-hi...

Re: Inside Palantir

#117

Post by Cacti »

palantir_intern wrote: post #104
callmeed wrote: post #60

My understanding is that Palantir is running an engineering mill/sweatshop using fresh out of school CS grads (particularly from Stanford). That much of their time is spent simply writing client-specific code that imports and cleans up data from disparate enterprise systems. That its not challenging, innovating, or exciting. Of course this is all anecdotal based on what I've heard from friends and a Palantir engineer…

In addition to building dashboards, integrating data and maintaining a data pipeline made up most of what I did as a commercial Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) intern. From what I've seen, this is what most FDEs do. Software engineers, business cultivation engineers, and people in other positions do other things, and I don't know what FDEs outside of the commercial umbrella do. I think your assessment is correct,…

What the hell is a "forward deployed engineer" and "business cultivation engineer"? You mean support and sales?

Re: Inside Palantir

#118

Post by huac »

callmeed wrote: post #60

My understanding is that Palantir is running an engineering mill/sweatshop using fresh out of school CS grads (particularly from Stanford). That much of their time is spent simply writing client-specific code that imports and cleans up data from disparate enterprise systems. That its not challenging, innovating, or exciting. Of course this is all anecdotal based on what I've heard from friends and a Palantir engineer…

Note that that work doesn't require a top CS degree. Palantir could easily achieve 97% of their results with tier 2 grads, but because they only take Stanford/Princeton/MIT/etc, they can justify their high prices to clients. It's classic consulting - McKinsey/Bain/BCG could achieve 97% of their results with tier 2 grads instead of Harvard/Wharton grads at lower salaries, but you gotta wow the clients to win the jobs.

Re: Inside Palantir

#119

Post by glup »

jbob2000 wrote: post #25
trhway wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I want to see what Palantir actually produces. SAR. Suspicious Activity Report. If you don't know what "fusion center" is - https://www.palantir.com/wp-assets/media/capabilities-perspe...

Huh. Kind of looks like ArcGIS.

That's what I thought. ArcGIS advises you to deploy more Cherry Coke to Montana.

Re: Inside Palantir

#120

Post by h1srf »

Cacti wrote: post #117
palantir_intern wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In addition to building dashboards, integrating data and maintaining a data pipeline made up most of what I did as a commercial Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) intern. From what I've seen, this is what most FDEs do. Software engineers, business cultivation engineers, and people in other positions do other things, and I don't know what FDEs outside of the commercial umbrella do. I think your assessment is correct,…

What the hell is a "forward deployed engineer" and "business cultivation engineer"? You mean support and sales?

My guess: forward deployed engineer = implement the system at a client, business cultivation engineer = sales
Post reply on HN