1 million as an IC. I need to join FANG.
Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
61–70 of 418 posts
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#62To answer the question you didn't want answered (as no one has mentioned this yet):
Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are three psychological factors that impact the 'meaning' one can derive from work / a job. [1] is the first link I came across when trying to remember the specifics. For me, the work I was doing at the last two startups failed the 'purpose' part - I wised up and realized I was wasting my life making already rich people even richer and/or dealing with manipulative wannabe sociopaths (the downside of capitalism, right?) (it took two lessons, I'm a slow learner). For me, "purpose" got toxic and I kept at things far too long than I ought to have.
So I'd give a think about those three factors - whatever you do next should take those into account (it sounds like purpose is most relevant for you right now)
As for starting a company, make sure to do proper / thorough background checks on whom you partner up with. I was 'the contractor' who decided to help out the 'friend of a friend' and ... I'll spare the reader the usual sort of story. I wish I'd learnt that lesson far sooner, but of course wasn't aware of my blind spots. Starting a company is grueling - make sure to do the right research (and sufficient amounts of it) before starting down a particular path. Otherwise you may waste money and end up having to pay your contractor late all the time... ha. And most are not as dumb as me and will quit.
[1] https://blog.deliveringhappiness.com/the-motivation-trifecta...
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#63In a similar situation, I decided to take a leave of absence with no plan for what I was going to do. Since I wasn't sure I'd go back, I made sure other people on the team were prepared. Then serious family stuff happened and I was happy to have the time to deal with it. After the leave of absence was up, I still wasn't sure and asked about extending, but they didn't go for that so I left the company. Since then I've…
How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
That doesn't sound like a typical startup experience though. Typically it's the opposite: too many things to do and the deadlines are always too short.
This also sounds suspiciously similar to big tech...
This sounds suspiciously like all business everywhere.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#65In a similar situation, I decided to take a leave of absence with no plan for what I was going to do. Since I wasn't sure I'd go back, I made sure other people on the team were prepared. Then serious family stuff happened and I was happy to have the time to deal with it. After the leave of absence was up, I still wasn't sure and asked about extending, but they didn't go for that so I left the company. Since then I've…
How do you support yourself? Do you have a family to support?
After a decade in FANG and living a not extravagant lifestyle, you could easily have a couple million socked away.
That at least gives you breathing room to do whatever for a few years.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#66I've heard stories of people quitting Big Tech and going into early retirement in their early 40s. It's totally feasible with the total compensation you've been receiving and if you live below your means. It could be an extremely liberating feeling not having to deal with any work at all. Now go travel around the world or pick up new hobbies or do side gigs for fun.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#67I’ve worked in both big tech and startups. Startups are nothing like big tech companies. The work and needs of a small company are completely different than somewhere like Google. And here’s the bad news: going to a small startup or mission-driven company probably won’t make you happy. You often have all of the same problems, with none of the support or validation from a big company. I’ve hired and worked with many w…
So this is something a lot of us have struggled with and I think it happens when your goals aren't aligned with your work. So what are your goals right now out of work? What is your workview and your lifeview. Find the intersection between those to get a good idea of what you want to accomplish in your life. After coming up with those, try and tabulate the things you do at work where you have the most energy and the…
I don't know why your comment is being downvoted. This is the usually the root of work frustrations I have seen people have (including in startups).
If your goal is to achieve public acclaim And recognition, you will do things differently vs. say a goal of work on intellectually stimulating things vs. say controlling the decisions in a company. I have a colleague who once got a kick out being the one to sign the cheques of major celebrities who endorse our brands and you'll have a different kind of career path if that's your goal vs. say the kicks a financial trader gets.
Problems usually happen with job satisfaction when either goals aren't clear or you're optimizing towards conflicting goals.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you support yourself? Do you have a family to support?
After a decade in FANG and living a not extravagant lifestyle, you could easily have a couple million socked away. That at least gives you breathing room to do whatever for a few years.
For a few years? What kind of lifestyle do you have that a few millions only last a few years? I really doubt with that math you would have been able to save a few millions in the first place, unless you won a lottery.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#69In a similar situation, I decided to take a leave of absence with no plan for what I was going to do. Since I wasn't sure I'd go back, I made sure other people on the team were prepared. Then serious family stuff happened and I was happy to have the time to deal with it. After the leave of absence was up, I still wasn't sure and asked about extending, but they didn't go for that so I left the company. Since then I've…
How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?
Late 40's.
Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?
#70Xoogler here. Of note is the fact that your FANG "level" means very little outside of FANG, so if this is something you define yourself by, I'd think twice before leaving.
If you've earned your stripes fair and square though, you'll be fine, although you'll be making a lot less money (assuming you're at least the equivalent of Google Staff SWE money wise; if you're 5 and below, there's a good chance you'll be making _more_, not less).
Having been through an early stage startup wringer myself, I'd advise against starting a company right out of the gate. If this is something that you want to do eventually, go work at a startup for a couple of years - you don't have to be a front-line grunt and you don't have to commit indeterminate amounts of time to it. Get a position where you'll be exposed to what the execs do: head or VP of something or other, and to the business side of things. Stuff that _you_ will have to do if you start your own company.
It's a completely different existence, you might decide it's not for you, and it's difficult to get out of it without destroying your reputation once you've made promises to people and took VC money.
Plus also consider that your current FANG overlords might not necessarily want you to come back.
Also protip: if there's a chance that you eventually might decide to re-join the same FANG company, the best time to leave is right after a promo, or else they'll try really hard to pigeonhole you into your old level, no matter how ridiculous that is several years down the road.