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Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

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Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#71

Post by twblalock »

> I've spent the last decade in two FANG companies, and I've got to a high level where my total compensation is ridiculous.

> The problem is that it bores me to tears, and I don't want to do it anymore.

One of the nice things about working at a FAANG is the ease of changing teams. Most large companies have a formal process for doing that and it's not normally frowned upon unless you do it very frequently.

You may find that staying at your company and changing teams will get you the change you desire without sacrificing your FAANG compensation.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#72

Post by person_of_color »

DVassallo wrote: post #52
ActorNightly wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am guessing the 500k compensation number is due to stock growth, not something that is given as part of a promotion. I know a few SD2s that make more than SD3s because they vested back in the day at $700 a share and due to how Amazon does total comp, the final number is over 300k a year currently.

I had a competing offer from Oracle in 2016 at $370K, and Amazon matched it to $390K for 2016 to 2018. An extra $70K and $120K in 2017 and 2018 came from stock growth. But for 2019 and 2020 they had topped me up to ~$460K, so I would have kept that level if I stayed, even with no stock growth.

370k in cash?

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#73

Post by Redoubts »

DVassallo wrote: post #48
daveFNbuck wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not all big tech companies are the same. My understanding is that Google is much less stressful with similar pay.

I’m sure they are differences, but I doubt any high-paying big tech job is going to be low-stress. I don’t mean necessarily working long hours, but you get the kind of work where you need to be figuring out ambiguous problems, always convincing other stakeholders, dealing with some level of drama, etc. Things that require expending a lot of energy. It’s unlikely you’d be just converting Jira tasks to code at these le…

I wouldn't call that stressful, just interesting.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#74

Post by tempsolution »

rubbingalcohol wrote: post #5

What would you do with your career if you could do anything you wanted? It's hard to give advice without a sense of what you'd rather be doing. For whatever it's worth, I'm going through a similar dilemma. My compensation is high, but I don't feel fulfilled by the work and there are other things I'd rather do for less money. Unlike you I'm in a startup and leaving would really mess things up for them, so I'm holding…

You do realize that this feeling is not mutual? Companies don't give a shit about their employees as long as it doesn't benefit them. They are not humans, they are "things" made out of humans. And the trick is that they use social structure to scam you into thinking that leaving the company makes things worse for your other "human" team mates. So yes, right now they want to keep you, but once you are not essential anymore, they will drop you like a hot piece of iron. It's funny that somehow companies manage to instill some sort of "compassion" in their employees and you seem to be an example that this actually works sometimes.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#75

Post by person_of_color »

theengway wrote: post #4

You know, there are companies right nearby with mission that alone can keep you inspired and motivated. Those companies have very challenging and rewarding problems to solve. (Shameless plug for Tesla software engineering!)

Do you do referrals?

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#76

Post by lmeyerov »

throwaway9980 wrote: post #42
taurath wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Boredom was the biggest thing for me at my startup. When waiting around for the business guys to make the right partnership for 3 months while you refactor for a demo for the nth time....

I’ve lived this a couple times. I hate to be pessimistic, but it’s a really bad sign. The startups I’ve done that were successful were always running just at the edge of total meltdown because the business guys were hustling hard.

Heh, that's the diff between early stage and growth stage. Some people like going 0-1, others like riding what others have built.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#77

Post by DVassallo »

person_of_color wrote: post #72
DVassallo wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a competing offer from Oracle in 2016 at $370K, and Amazon matched it to $390K for 2016 to 2018. An extra $70K and $120K in 2017 and 2018 came from stock growth. But for 2019 and 2020 they had topped me up to ~$460K, so I would have kept that level if I stayed, even with no stock growth.

370k in cash?

It was 180K cash and the rest in Oracle stock vesting every 3 months.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#78

Post by traK6Dcm »

I made a similar move a while ago, though I was not at the same level that you are and worked at startups before joining FAANG.

> Second, what are some of the surprises post-FANG that I would be in for if I wanted to start a company?

The biggest changes for me were psychological. I'm a competitive person by nature, and where I worked, most people were the same. It mattered a lot to me that I was keeping up with my coworkers, both in terms of salary and peer recognition. This was unconscious, and I never truly realized this until quitting.

As a result, it had become difficult for me to enjoy my free time. I would hate myself for doing nothing and wasting time. Let me give you an example. When I was younger, I loved playing videogames. After quitting I thought it's finally time to catch up with all those games I had missed. But after having worked in tech for so long I found myself unable to enjoy them on the same level I had before. Instead of taking my time appreciating the game and its art and discoveries, I felt pressure to complete it with 100% as quickly as possible, in the most efficient way possible. I believe that's what tech culture did to me. It made me into a robot trying to compete. That also spilled over into my relationships, where I would regularly cancel dates or leave early in order to optimize my time.

Getting away from this mindset took a long time and I'm still working on it. I am now slowly learning to enjoy the small things again, relax without worrying about wasting time, or keeping up with everyone else around me.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#79

Post by zerr »

iamleppert wrote: post #17

I’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…

Small companies more easily provide perks such as part/flex-time and remote work.

Re: Ask HN: Quitting Big Tech, what is it like?

#80

Post by techpop10 »

zerr wrote: post #79
iamleppert wrote: post #17

I’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…

Small companies more easily provide perks such as part/flex-time and remote work.

Totally disagree as someone who has done both a few times: Try working remotely or from home with a small company or startup. In those environments you typically wear more than one hat and it requires face time. You'll also often work longer hours which throws any chance at a work/life balance out the window.
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