They say data scientist salaries are the highest but I’ve also found the most noise in data science applicants. I have found a lot of candidates who can do something absolutely amazing with Tensorflow. I have found zero, and thus hired none, who can answer my real question: “I collect every conceivable bit of data on my customers and their actions. I lose 6% every month, using this data tell me why and what might fix it.”
The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
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Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#92In my view, they can have it. I was a project manager (granted, a slightly different title and role) for a couple years. I went back to the bench. Fortunately I took a pay hike in both directions. Those middle management jobs seem to be super high stress, long hours, and low reward. Literally everybody I've known who went into one of those jobs did so upon the birth of their first kid, when they felt the financial pr…
It is a job where your goal is to try disappoint people most slowly. You are pretty much rigged to disappoint everyone. Gotta spread that around though. Marketing, sales, and the business end all have expectation of perfect execution, on-time delivery, bug free, and the development, testing, support teams all just want realistic requirements and timelines. Somewhere in the middle is the island of slight disappointment that makes everyone only slightly sad. I enjoy the challenge, but it is not for everyone.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#93They say data scientist salaries are the highest but I’ve also found the most noise in data science applicants. I have found a lot of candidates who can do something absolutely amazing with Tensorflow. I have found zero, and thus hired none, who can answer my real question: “I collect every conceivable bit of data on my customers and their actions. I lose 6% every month, using this data tell me why and what might fix…
> I have found zero, and thus hired none, who can answer my real question
That's because it isn't the job of a data scientist to answer that question. Their task is getting you the numbers. You need an "MBA type" to figure out what to do with it (analyst, business development/strategy, product manager etc.)
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#94I swear, every time I read an article on HN about salary it gives me anxiety. I'm perpetually worried that I'm not earning as much as I should be earning. I don't think it is healthy but I can't look away.
If you're worried apply for another job and tell the hiring manager on the other end what you're expecting for a salary. Don't be ludicrous, but maybe ask for 20% more than you're making. See what they say.
If they don't blink and want you to come in, you're right: you're not making enough.
I've gotten, "Well, we should probably stop this call soon because my cap is X and you're asking for more than that." It was reassuring.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#95I would guess that low-paying employers also hire fewer PMs because, so a larger fraction of PMs end up working at large, well-paying companies.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#96In the other news, software engineers are the lowest paid workers in tech companies.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which they acknowledged
They are more than "slightly" different. A product manger is a creative professional. A project manager is an administrative professional.
Creative writing, maybe? Outside of founder-level product managers, of which I have worked with several who are actually creative, I remain unconvinced there is much real difference.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#98In other news, CEOs are the highest paid workers in Silicon Valley. This is a seniority thing not a "this function is more valuable" thing.
Product managers are actually not that "senior" in the corporate ladder. They have lots of responsibility without much authority.
They are on average more senior than engineers though, because product manager isn't usually an entry level role.
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#99They say data scientist salaries are the highest but I’ve also found the most noise in data science applicants. I have found a lot of candidates who can do something absolutely amazing with Tensorflow. I have found zero, and thus hired none, who can answer my real question: “I collect every conceivable bit of data on my customers and their actions. I lose 6% every month, using this data tell me why and what might fix…
What's the answer
Re: The highest paid workers in Silicon Valley are product managers (2016)
#100I swear, every time I read an article on HN about salary it gives me anxiety. I'm perpetually worried that I'm not earning as much as I should be earning. I don't think it is healthy but I can't look away.
Don’t sweat these. Every HN salary thread, people come out of the woodwork to note that their sister’s roommate’s brother works at Facebook and makes $300k, therefore all tech workers everywhere in Silicon Valley make that much on average. For some reason, people here love to take outlier employees at outlier companies and hold them up as averages.