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Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

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Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#181

Post by khazhou »

pbiggar wrote: post #25

Disclaimer: I'm a founder of an early stage startup, so I'm biased. You need to figure out what your goals are. We can't answer for you because we don't know what you want. If your goal is just money (which is fine, don't be afraid to say this), then definitely go to google. In 10 years you'll be earning 500k per year, and have put away a ton of cash too. Financially, if the startup is successful you_might_ make $10m…

Disclaimer: I'm an ex-FANG, ex-founder, now-again-FANG, so I'm also biased.

I'm somewhat bothered by your comment about money:

> If your goal is just money (which is fine, don't be afraid to say this), then definitely go to google.

I find this disingenuous, as money is also a big reason why people do startups, both the employees and the founders. The founders could have chosen to implement their idea inside Google or wherever (with an army of marketing, virtually unlimited funding as long as the idea is working out, and all forms of support to bolster the team and the product), but the founder passed on that in order to reap the huge rewards that come with owning a successful company. Or, in order to have "personal" control (inasmuch as you can have that when you still have investors, a Board, and an indifferent target audience).

Sure, there are _some_ founders whose vision genuinely doesn't fit inside any FANG... but those are the exception. For most visions, the best possible way to realize them is inside BigCo.

Also, the promise of a Google-sized payday is hinted at to employees ("Join us... we think this is a Google-sized opportunity" is a common thing founders say). Even your own statement ("you _might_ make $10m, but that's unlikely") embodies the dream and the challenge presented to a prospective employee who's ready for a big risk, to put their guarantees and expected-outcomes on the line for that sweet $10m.

The prospective employee probably doesn't realize that the founders who are pitching them on .01% still hold 60% between the two of them, and a different class of shares. The prospective doesn't realize that there is only an infinitesimally, vanishingly small likelihood they'll make even close to what they'll make at the big company.

But even when the employees make very little, the founders still have a good path to making bank, in the case of even a minor acquisition or an acquihire.

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#182

Post by chamza »

I was in a similar situation, I had offers from both companies and chose the startup, but ultimately ended up at Google.

I was up with the startup for 6 months, it was not a good fit for me and I lost faith in the company quickly. A recruiter reached out to me from Google while I was there to follow up. I did not need to re-interview and they brought me in since I was still in the system as an accepted candidate (I think this stands for one year). so I got to experience the best of both worlds. I’m still at google 2 years later, I can echo the sentiments of it opening up many more doors

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#183

Post by restlessdesign »

manquer wrote: post #133
gnomeduck wrote: post #7

Advice from someone who had a similar choice and went the startup route: choose the Google option. It will not only open doors for you for all your future jobs, but you can invest the money now and create a nice start for yourself. There will never be any shortage of interesting startups to work for in the future.

It really depends on kind of person OP is, Personally I never want to work at any large corporation especially Google, the benefits do not outweigh the drawbacks for me. Apart from what others mentioned in the thread In the startup choice the biggest benefit not going the Google for me is that I choose to work in a domain(by choosing the startup) where I am passionate about, slim chance of it happening in a large org…

Interesting that you say "never" vs. "never again"…

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#184

Post by drewg123 »

joshuamorton wrote: post #176
sidlls wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. Base pay for a very junior hire is $140k - $160k and equity ranges from $250k to $400k or more (vesting over four years, so $62.5k to $100k per year). After annual bonus and raises, for a single person who lives reasonably and has no debt it's about 4-6 years from zero to $1M in the bank.

That's a bit inflated. That's l4 comp, whereas very junior would be l3 comp, which is a bit less (120-140 base and much less equity). It gets confusing because of stock lettering and such.

Not to mention the bonus multipliers and RSU grants depend a lot on your level. I recall there was a steep difference between L5 and L6. I assume there is a similar one between L3 and L4..

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#185

Post by hfdgiutdryg »

Google, without question.

You'll be gold-plating your resume. Also, knowing several people who have worked at Google for years now, it's the only tech company I've heard of that seems to take an active interest in a software engineers actual career and growth.

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#187

Post by joshuamorton »

drewg123 wrote: post #184
joshuamorton wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a bit inflated. That's l4 comp, whereas very junior would be l3 comp, which is a bit less (120-140 base and much less equity). It gets confusing because of stock lettering and such.

Not to mention the bonus multipliers and RSU grants depend a lot on your level. I recall there was a steep difference between L5 and L6. I assume there is a similar one between L3 and L4..

Bonus multiplier is the same up to l5, it starts growing rather quickly after that, but yeah target rsu grants change significantly from level to level (iirc they approximately double from 3 to 4 and also from 4 to 5).

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#188

Post by Hydraulix989 »

joshuamorton wrote: post #174
kcorbitt wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to return a prorated portion of my signing bonus and relocation expenses. The larger financial hit was that none of my RSUs had vested, so I walked away from those entirely (my understanding is that Google has since changed their policy and RSUs now begin vesting immediately). To be clear, I don't recommend that anyone join Google with the intention of leaving in less than a year. Even though I wasn't particula…

This is correct. You'll still repost prorated signing and relo, but some of your stock will have vested.

Surprised there is no one-year cliff now.

Also did you have to return the pre-tax amounts or the post-tax amounts?

Re: Ask HN: How do I choose between a job offer from Google and a promising startup?

#190

Post by Hydraulix989 »

dmitrygr wrote: post #142
Hydraulix989 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't have to be enforced if they fire you "without cause" (because of the moonlighting)

Which is exactly when the labor board would come along and sue them for it very publicly, yes

Under what grounds? The burden of proof is on the employee and the employer can just stonewall and deny everything with zero recourse.

They could claim it was your performance, your motivation, conflict with the team or anything else really if they were ever pressed to give a reason.

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