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Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

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Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#91

Post by throwaway-1209 »

falsedan wrote: post #90
throwaway-1209 wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

6 months "to travel"? Your manager will laugh you out of the conference room. A month, that should be doable.

As a manager, I would listen to the IC's request, say "I'll see what options are available, let's come back to this next week in out 1-to-1", and then go to my boss to see how much time we can offer/how to implement a vesting holiday. If the options are: lose someone for 6 months, or lose someone completely; I'd push strongly for the former.

You're a better manager than any of the ones I had at Google. That said, your boss might laugh _you_ out of the room, bringing us back to square one. He/she doesn't cherish the idea of hiring a replacement for the duration, or scaling back what he/she promised to _his/her_ boss (whew, those gender pronouns make it a mouthful). It's one thing if you need to care for a sick relative or something, any tech company will make accommodations. But to "travel" so you could gestate your startup idea -- that's pretty much a GTFO right off the bat.

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#92

Post by [deleted] »

throwaway-1209 wrote: post #86
kmicklas wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah of course, I'm not saying the contract wouldn't have an influence on my actions, just that I don't (and you shouldn't) feel a moral/ethical obligation to follow it.

And that's exactly what those contracts are aiming for: not to control your mind, but to establish a deterrent from much more nefarious shenanigans, if thoughts of such shenanigans arise. Some of the top Silicon Valley companies (dating all the way back to the 70's) would simply not exist if those contracts were followed to the letter.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#93

Post by nakedrobot2 »

theparanoid wrote: post #17
kcdev wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you have another job lined up when you left?

No

If you're really an entrepreneur type, then your discomfort for working for a huge company will never go away.

Leave the squishy free breakfast huge happy company now and don't look back. You were never that googly to begin with, were you? :)

You are young and fresh, go see the world, see what else is out there. Go!

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#94

Post by [deleted] »

throwaway-1209 wrote: post #91
falsedan wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a manager, I would listen to the IC's request, say "I'll see what options are available, let's come back to this next week in out 1-to-1", and then go to my boss to see how much time we can offer/how to implement a vesting holiday. If the options are: lose someone for 6 months, or lose someone completely; I'd push strongly for the former.

You're a better manager than any of the ones I had at Google. That said, your boss might laugh _you_ out of the room, bringing us back to square one. He/she doesn't cherish the idea of hiring a replacement for the duration, or scaling back what he/she promised to _his/her_ boss (whew, those gender pronouns make it a mouthful). It's one thing if you need to care for a sick relative or something, any tech company will…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#95

Post by nakedrobot2 »

jalayir wrote: post #2

> My mentor suggested to stay at Google until I find an interesting startup idea to work on. This is a sound piece of advice. However, it looks like you're very keen on traveling. Maybe you can take a 3-month unpaid sabbatical from Google, and see what it feels like?

Because... Sitting in a cubicle doing a job you don't like is a great inspiration to find startup ideas?

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#97

Post by matt_wulfeck »

If you have dreams to travel, just do it. Spend a year backpacking and you will not regret it. Try and stay in an area for a month or longer. The experience will change you in positive ways and leave you will very memorable experiences you'll often think back on.

It's simply harder to travel when you're older, and you'll have many more obstacles to long trips.

If I may, I also really hope you make the trip without internet access.

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#99

Post by wand3r »

nakedrobot2 wrote: post #95
jalayir wrote: post #2

> My mentor suggested to stay at Google until I find an interesting startup idea to work on. This is a sound piece of advice. However, it looks like you're very keen on traveling. Maybe you can take a 3-month unpaid sabbatical from Google, and see what it feels like?

Because... Sitting in a cubicle doing a job you don't like is a great inspiration to find startup ideas?

Probably. Def good place for high caliber cofounders.

Re: Ask HN: Why shouldn't I leave Google?

#100

Post by lbatx »

yongjik wrote: post #72
_ibu9 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So your mentor seems to be right, even though what he's suggesting is not 100% ethical: if you read your contract you'll see that all of your software related ideas are property of Google. It is most definitely not unethical to not comply with a bullshit authoritarian contract like that.

This links sums up nicely why that's the only practical way for software companies: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2016/12/09/developers-side-pr... > Your game designer works for a year and invents 7 games. At the end of the year, she sues you, claiming that she owns 4 of them, because those particular games were invented between 5pm and 9am, when she wasn’t on duty. > Ooops. That’s not what you meant. You wanted to…

Sorry, this isn't the only practical way for software companies. There are three main approaches: no mention at all (vague and bad for all parties), ownership of all related ideas developed on company time/company equipment [this is the only type of contract I will sign], and the company owns everything you do at any time.

Since both #2 and #3 have been used by companies, clearly #3 can't be the "only practical way".

> > Your game designer works for a year and invents 7 games. At the end of the year, she sues you, claiming that she owns 4 of them, because those particular games were invented between 5pm and 9am, when she wasn’t on duty.

This is a terrible example. If the game designer delivers you 7 games during the year, that's a pretty clear indication that they are for you and are works for hire under the contract.

Also, if you are hiring her for game design, then off hours, she can't design games, because that is directly competitive. She can, however, design software that manages greenhouses. And that is as it should be.

If there are any games she designed on her own time that she doesn't want to be yours, she wouldn't have given them to you. If she kept one, launched it herself, and made a ton of money, you would probably have a claim. But she has no claim to games she gave you.

[Could she still sue? Sure, every example can be made into some court case with a possible terrible outcome -- that's called life. But this is not a realistic problem.]

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