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Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

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Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#151

Post by shimon »

krat0sprakhar wrote: post #95
koolba wrote: post #51

Regardless of which path you'd like to go down, learn some basic financial planning, frugality, and learn to live like a miser. It'll pay dividends, both figuratively and literally. Regarding the executive path, or more generally any management role, learn early on if it's for you. If you're the type that gets caught up in human interest stories, considers it inhumane to fire low performers, or generally believes in…

For someone who recently graduated and quite clueless about financial planning, do you have some resources to get started?

Start with Scott Adams' financial checklist: https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/scott-adams-financial-advice/

Note the item about hiring a fee-based financial advisor. I hired one starting a few years ago even though I am pretty good at this stuff, but I think they're especially helpful for newbies to establish good expectations and habits.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#152

Post by danans »

cellis wrote: post #13
hellbreaker wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep on hearing about that.. so what's savings rate people should expect in SF?

If you're single without kids -- 50% easily. Perhaps someone with kids can comment.

If you and your partner both work full time, factor 20k+/kid/year for child care. If you later send your children to private schools, factor roughly the same rate.

If instead you choose to send your kids to a public school that provides good educational opportunities, factor in either several thousand in additional local property taxes [1] or similar amounts in donations to the school PTA [2].

[1] http://www.paloaltopulse.com/2014/10/16/palo-alto-pulse-asks...

[2] http://capta.org/pta-leaders/run-your-pta/finance/fundraisin...

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#153

Post by dpeck »

rpeden wrote: post #75
cachemiss wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are bootstrapping, and you are starting a company in an area that does not need the top tier of engineers (which is most of them, regardless of how they talk about hiring the best), I'd consider starting someplace low cost. I think college towns in the midwest / rust belt are untapped resources, or areas that used to have strong technically focused companies that moved away. I've personally seen founders boots…

Just an irrelevant side note - what do envision when you think of 'Uber for cats'? - A cat sharing service? - A 'cat on demand' service that allows you to reap the benefits of cat ownership without having to worry about acquisition and maintenance costs? - A taxi service for cats? I could envision paying for all of those, under the right circumstances. So such a company would likely have at least a few dollars of rea…

Taxi that takes your pets to the Vet, waits with them, facetimes you to the Vet during the exam.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#154

Post by lliamander »

dceddia wrote: post #92
nichochar wrote: post #42

This is rather true in practice, but I find it tremendously depressing. I have found that the executive path is actually the one that most of the scumbags take, it is the one that attracts the most people, and those people are usually not likable, they're salespeople that sell themselves all day. The third group, the one that actually creates value, is accurately represented as not as successful both in terms of mone…

There's a good book I read recently called Developer Hegemony, and I think you might like it. It breaks down the archetypes within companies, talks about what it takes to succeed as an employee or an executive, and then discusses an alternative route that we software engineers might be able to take. Here's a blog about the book [0] and the book itself [1]. [0]: https://www.daedtech.com/developer-hegemony-the-crazy-id…

Hah! didn't see your post before I submitted mine :)

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#155

Post by jakelarkin »

cellis wrote: post #13
hellbreaker wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep on hearing about that.. so what's savings rate people should expect in SF?

If you're single without kids -- 50% easily. Perhaps someone with kids can comment.

been running this math recently:

quality child care or private school is +$2k/month/child

+2bdrm housing $4k

food/transport/other $2k

for couple with one kid you're at $8k/month post-tax or $150k/year pre-tax to break even.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#156

Post by edw519 »

Employee (individual contributor / middle manager) Pro: More work and fewer meetings

LOL, IF ONLY!

Another example that people in silicon valley (and yc in particular) have no idea what goes on in the real world.

(HN reply in one window, with skype and webex open in 2 other windows, my 5th and 6th meetings today. I've been on HN for 10 years with over 5,000 contributions, almost all while in meetings, ignoring talking heads and engaging you guys. You don't actually believe I'd be here if I had meaningful work to do, do you?)

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#157

Post by toomuchtodo »

spamizbad wrote: post #144
humanrebar wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I share you bullishness about "untapped" cities, but: > ...starting a company in an area that does not need the top tier of engineers... As far as quality of talent, the "top tier of engineers" aren't all in SF, Seattle, or NYC. There are plenty of "top tier" engineers in all kinds of places. If you mean the "top tier" in pay rates are in those cities, that probably true. But those cities also have a ridiculous cost…

Also: Even though there are many top-tier engineers in those hotspots, just how gettable are they if you're hiring in SV/Seattle/NYC? Based on my purely anecdotal experience, engineers that would be easy no-hires in Chicago get scooped up into senior roles in the valley because everyone there is so desperate to hire anyone who can fizzbuzz. It's the best area to be in if you're one of the best... and also if you're o…

> Based on my purely anecdotal experience, engineers that would be easy no-hires in Chicago get scooped up into senior roles

I left a Chicago Loop job 3 years ago for a fully remote startup, moved to Tampa, moved from that fully remote startup to a Tampa-based org, and Chicago recruiters get in touch 2-3 times a week offering full relo expenses. There literally is an insane amount of demand and people with very little experience being pulled into Chicago roles.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#158

Post by cachemiss »

humanrebar wrote: post #140
cachemiss wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on what you are doing. If you are trying to build something like a database kernel, you want people who have done it before, very specialized. There aren't lots of them outside of the tech hotspots. I don't necessarily mean there aren't smart people outside of the hotspots, but there isn't the specialized skillsets that get built from working at the Microsofts / Googles etc. edit: In the number that you ne…

> There aren't lots of them outside of the tech hotspots. Maybe. But how many people live in those places because that's where the well-paid jobs are?

Most of them I'd wager. Issue is, and it was for me, is that moving out of an area where I can walk down the street and get another great job to an area where the only great job is the one that this hypothetical company is offering just wasn't worth the risk. I have a wife and kids, and so do most specialized senior engineers.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#159

Post by urda »

Akujin wrote: post #150
urda wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is an insult to the thousands of people who make it in the bay area on barista wages. No this is the reality of living in the Bay Area. People who are living on barista wages are getting screwed by it. It's an insult to them that this is the reality today. > Just fucking wow. Alright calm down, you're on HN not reddit. You can express your viewpoint without being dramatic and vulgar. > You can save in the bay…

I don't understand where people get off telling someone who makes six figures that they should "get a roommate" just so that they can actually save some money.

Typically it is one of the following:

- Someone who is completely disconnected from reality

- Older generations where "a firm handshake a smile got me my job and education, why are you younger folks so poor? Why didn't you buy a cheap house decades ago like I did?"

- Someone who never lived in the Bay Area, yet feels like they should comment on those trying to make a living there.

Re: Three Paths in the Tech Industry: Founder, Executive, or Employee

#160

Post by falcolas »

dpeck wrote: post #153
rpeden wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just an irrelevant side note - what do envision when you think of 'Uber for cats'? - A cat sharing service? - A 'cat on demand' service that allows you to reap the benefits of cat ownership without having to worry about acquisition and maintenance costs? - A taxi service for cats? I could envision paying for all of those, under the right circumstances. So such a company would likely have at least a few dollars of rea…

Taxi that takes your pets to the Vet, waits with them, facetimes you to the Vet during the exam.

I... I would consider paying for that. Vet waiting times are usually better than human doctors, but not by much.
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