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Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

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Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#81

Post by r00fus »

ashelmire wrote: post #33
CPLX wrote: post #4

The big question, of course, is does Netflix succeed because of, or in spite of, this policy.

They’ve been pushing the same product since inception; they could do nothing except maintain current tech and catalogue, which is what they’ve more or less been doing. So it’s in spite of. They could have any culture, hire a herd of thousands of cats and pay them half a million each, and they wouldn’t lose much. The only thing they need to do to survive is maintain rights to enough shows people are willing to pay for…

You seem to think that maintaining the current site takes no effort.

I bet you think iPhones make themselves or that Google search barely requires maintenance?

It's not like they've not added countries, content and features since inception.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#82

Post by jimmydddd »

mc32 wrote: post #38
akras14 wrote: post #22

On one hand this seem crazy. On another, every place I worked at was full of free-loaders who did nothing and never got fired. I wonder if things are different at Netflix.

Well, we have to come to terms with the realization that society has a percentage of freeloaders. They also need to make a living; somehow. So the better option is to assume a certain percentage of freeloaders and design work with them in mind. Instead of firing them, reassign them to places they will prove more useful. Something like where in Japan they relegate these people to the periphery of the company but don’t…

A friend had a co-worker who would just walk around the company all day holding a coffee mug, schmooze with people, pop in on meetings, etc. They ended up making him the liaison (point person) for the company's charity projects. He apparently ended up doing a great job in this position.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#83

Post by icebraining »

falcolas wrote: post #62
icebraining wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They’ve been pushing the same product since inception I don't see how that's true at all. They were originally an American DVD mail order service that rented other people's movies. They're now a global streaming service with a strong content production division. They've change both the product, the business model, the customer base and the tech.

They made that pivot a decade ago now. The current work for most of the tech employees is likely exactly maintenance. They could be looking at another pivot, but that's yet to be seen.

I wasn't speaking only regarding tech, since the previous poster talked about the catalogue, which has definitively changed with the Originals (the first is just five years old).

But even regarding tech, they've been making new things; for example, they moved from physical data centers to their OpenConnect appliances.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#84

Post by BeetleB »

erikb wrote: post #63
BeetleB wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I always feel that freeloaders are not hurting me personally, so why harm them? In my experience, over time, freeloaders tend to become vocal and lobby for policy changes (within the team, not corporatewise) that helps keep them there. I've seen them oppose technically sound decisions because they're not sure they can handle the complexity, or (and more commonly) because it involves skills they don't want to learn.…

Ah I see, there's certainly a clear difference between our evaluation. If I see a whole team of freeloaders I blame the management team above them. At least in engineering teams it's super easy to have motivated teams because the people choose this career out of desire for working as engineers. Loads of freeloaders means there is no fruitful ground for motivated people to grow on. So they leave or turn into slackers,…

>At least in engineering teams it's super easy to have motivated teams because the people choose this career out of desire for working as engineers.

Where do you work and how do I get a job there?

I've only worked in big corporations - and I rarely see this attitude. Many people became engineers because it was seen as a way to make a decent living. The number among them who actually enjoy technical stuff (say, well enough that they would do it in their spare time if they had all the money in the world) is negligible. And then even amongst those, big corporations with mediocre management can do a great job of demotivating you. I've certainly been there - where I decide "Screw all this. At this point I'm doing it only for a paycheck (i.e. no job satisfaction). I'll just put in the minimum to keep my employer happy and use my extra time to do fun technical stuff at home".

In my experience, the "median" management helps you go down that path. You really need them to actively foster technical interest.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#85

Post by xrd »

shroom wrote: post #17

Stories I’ve hear from friends to my family who worked at Netflix made me cringe. Regular meetings where everyone at the meeting have to do presentations about their own recent work at the company and basically have to present why they should stay instead of the ”other guy” who will be fired. No rest with constant fear of being fired or the alternative if you ”make it” is constant preasure of performaning better than…

I think that if you don't have regular discussion of the good and bad, as it sounds like they do at Netflix, then the void gets filled with something else. I think that void in most cases is quickly filled with people who hate to explain their practices, don't want to discuss their failures, and as a whole that inhibits new people from succeeding and creates an awful work environment. I'm sure there are bad sides to this approach at Netflix but having seen what happens when the culture doesn't insist on regular difficult communication, I'm not sure Netflix sounds that awful.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#87

Post by strangerlands »

smrtinsert wrote: post #57
strangerlands wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no RSUs at Netflix, just for everyone 5% each year of annual salary in free stock options at 40% of current value, vesting every month. You can also use up to 100% of your salary for buying stock options at 40% of current value. The policy made rich many people who invested heavily in the stock options program years back. The severance package is 4 months of salary. I doubt you got an offer from there, beca…

Rsu vs vesting options, really not that different.

Not even remotely similar. RSU for a public company given at $100 per share can be sold at $100 per share (or more or less depending on the value of the share when it is sold). For public companies, that is basically cash. If you buy an option at 40% of current $100 value means you pay now $40 dollars for the option of buying the share at $100 in the future (Netflix has a 10 years horizon). That means that you start making money ($1, pre-tax!) when the stock reaches $141. If it does not happen, you have lost your $40.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#88

Post by strangerlands »

beatgammit wrote: post #72
strangerlands wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stoic maybe if the same rules applied to him, but it is not the case, they apply to everyone except himself. Maybe it is just me, but I don't like when people apply harsh rules for everyone except themselves. Cult or dictatorship come to mind.

When you're the owner/manager of something, you get to decide how people use the things under your control. It's the same way if you let someone borrow your car or other valuable possession: you'll see rules for how that item can be used (e.g. don't take the Lamborghini off-roading). If that behavior extends outside of things you _should_ control (e.g. you try to control your friends and acquaintances), then it can b…

Not everything that is lawful is also ethical. He can do it and I firmly believe it is unethical at the same time. Also, and I am not necessarily referring to the CEO, being a bad person – when the noun would actually start with the letter a – doesn't mean having a mental disorder.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#89

Post by yourstruly33 »

wishinghand wrote: post #67
HillaryBriss wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's interesting to put this into the larger context of "the US needs more programmers and STEM grads." if that is true, how does Netflix find additional people to hire? how does it survive in a competitive labor market when it treats employees in this way?

Same as Amazon. They offer a great resume builder but are notoriously toxic to work at.

Not true for every team. As in Microsoft. As in Apple. As in Google. Amazon has great teams and supersmart people. If you're unlucky you end up in a crappy team. Since there are lots and lots, it's a luck-driven process.

Re: Working at Netflix Sounds Like Hell

#90

Post by anothergoogler »

akras14 wrote: post #36
claydavisss wrote: post #7

I had a Netflix offer this year I declined (yes, people decline Netflix now and then) The salary was eye-popping...$400k. That's just to be a senior developer. There were RSUs on top of this so total comp was probably $500k. That's crazy! I knew if I joined I would be terminated but that didn't bother me...the salary was crazy and apparently the goodbye package is also generous. I suppose it's sort of nuts to know yo…

400k??? This seems insanely high. Are you one of a kind specialist of sort? I find it hard to believe that regular engineer, even in the prime of his career can expect such high salary.

Their location is brutal and basically transit-inaccessible. You'd have to pay me seven figures to live near Los Gatos or do the crazy commute from some place interesting.
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