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Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

neomindlabs.com

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Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#171

Post by Aunche »

game_the0ry wrote: post #23

I agree with the author's point about using popular tech stacks to alleviate the ramp-up time for new hire productivity, but that is not the optimal solution. The optimal solution is for management to not let high-productivity talent from leaving - increase their comp to whatever offers they might get in the open market. That's how labor economic works - it's a market. Investment bank and management consulting figure…

Not all companies need $500k engineers or can afford them. An optimization at Netflix that improves performance by 1% may save them millions of dollars. The same optimization at a medium-size company may only save them a few thousand.

Also, it's much more difficult to quantify the impact of a software engineer compared to investment bankers and consultants. The latter two are directly making money for the firm.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#172

Post by jfk13 »

Supermancho wrote: post #50
ninkendo wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Webster’s dictionary describes language as it is used, it doesn’t prescribe definitions. Citing a dictionary means nothing in a debate of whether we ought to use a word in a certain context.

> Webster’s dictionary describes language as it is used, it doesn’t prescribe definitions American English is a high context language. The GP was illustrating the current parlance, which Webster is lacking.

I thought the US was considered to be a prime example of a low context culture.

E.g. https://www.unitedlanguagegroup.com/blog/communicating-high-...

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#173

Post by nwsm »

arez wrote: post #6

is this a RoR ad? It doesn't really provide any new insights. If your devs are hired by nflx or hit by a bus the outcome is the same. It's just a saying

Yes it is. From the homepage [0]: "Dedicated to the stewardship of Ruby on Rails applications."

I guarantee no one needed the author to explain that "hit by a bus" applies to more than tragic accidents.

[0] https://www.neomindlabs.com/

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#174

Post by aaronblohowiak »

nitrogen wrote: post #63
treeman79 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Opposite opinion. You should never need more then a day to knowledge transfer. If that. I always try and cross train people enough that I can quit at any point and it’s not an issue. All processes are kept automatic where no one is crucial to keep it running. Mostly it’s useful for vacations. In the past I went on a cruise. And I wasn’t sure the company will be online without me to baby them through. After that I got…

I agree with making things automatic. But sometimes you have to let team members specialize. It's less efficient for everyone to know everything. But, it is good if everything is known, at least in part, by at least two people.

When I was managing the goal for the team was to have at least two people know each thing, but avoid too much overlap between any two people. This is like some form of erasure encoding :)

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#175

Post by alwaysdoit »

game_the0ry wrote: post #23

I agree with the author's point about using popular tech stacks to alleviate the ramp-up time for new hire productivity, but that is not the optimal solution. The optimal solution is for management to not let high-productivity talent from leaving - increase their comp to whatever offers they might get in the open market. That's how labor economic works - it's a market. Investment bank and management consulting figure…

Even if you have the best compensation in the market, sometimes people leave just because they want something different. I agree with your general point that we should be willing to pony up to keep people, but ensuring your system is straightforward for other people to pick up and maintain is also a good practice.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#176

Post by FartyMcFarter »

benrbray wrote: post #153
sjburt wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really fail to see the distinction. If someone is willing to pay 600k for something, then the value of that thing on the market is 600k. That is what a market is.

If Google is willing to pay 200k above market rate to hire an employee from a competitor, chances are part of the "value" of that employee is that they will no longer be working for someone else. Yes, literally speaking, it's "worth it" to Google, or they wouldn't do it. Being so large, Google can throw advertising money on their self-driving car division, no problem. They can take a loss for 5-10 years, no problem.…

> If Google is willing to pay 200k above market rate

This is not possible according to the usual definition of "market rate".

If Google is willing to pay X, that is the market rate.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#177

Post by axaxs »

JPKab wrote: post #86
paulgb wrote: post #3

> never underestimate the amount of money the FAANGs have to poach your talent. I really wish we'd stop using the word "poach". It's a loaded word with negative connotations, but what it really means here is "offer someone a better situation than you offered them". Employees have agency, they aren't wild elephants who need your "protection" from "predators" who just want to pay them more.

The thing that hits me is the "$500k+/year in the valley". Is this really a thing? Am I a giant dumbass for staying in Colorado? Even factoring in my stock grants, I'm nowhere close to that number.

I went through the same thing for years. If I were young (early 20s?) and single, I'd probably consider it. But keep in mind that's the high end. Most people in the valley also don't come close to that number, so it's a gamble without an offer in hand.

I'm in my 30's now, with a family. There is no reasonable amount of money that could convince me to uproot and go to the valley. Sure I could come out ahead financially, but at what costs? Commuting for hours each day, working long hours, living in a smallish house with no yard, high crime, high pollution, etc. Those are just some negatives, but there are of course some positives too. For me, my time with family is my most valuable asset, and I don't think I'd sell it for $500k.

Sure you could go there and make a lot of money and basically retire in 10 years, but I'd rather have those 10 years back in time at the end I'm sure.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#178

Post by whatshisface »

benrbray wrote: post #153
sjburt wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really fail to see the distinction. If someone is willing to pay 600k for something, then the value of that thing on the market is 600k. That is what a market is.

If Google is willing to pay 200k above market rate to hire an employee from a competitor, chances are part of the "value" of that employee is that they will no longer be working for someone else. Yes, literally speaking, it's "worth it" to Google, or they wouldn't do it. Being so large, Google can throw advertising money on their self-driving car division, no problem. They can take a loss for 5-10 years, no problem.…

If Google is willing to pay $200k over your current employer for you, your employer is paying you $200k under your market rate.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#179

Post by throw1234651234 »

trhway wrote: post #145
throw1234651234 wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait, are you saying 150-250k is standard and you can get more at FAANG? Most senior devs I know aren't breaking $130 in a flyover. To be clear, a lot aren't breaking $100,000.

It _was_ standard few years back and is still for anybody who hasn't changed job in the last 2-3 years. In our BigCo we're loosing people fast (only lazy sediment like me - Google gave me only 1x - is still there), and the new people, not much of them around though, are getting $300K+ .

I am lost between not believing you and questioning what I am doing with my life.

Re: Developer won’t get hit by a bus, they’ll get hired by Netflix

#180

Post by [deleted] »

paulgb wrote: post #3

> never underestimate the amount of money the FAANGs have to poach your talent. I really wish we'd stop using the word "poach". It's a loaded word with negative connotations, but what it really means here is "offer someone a better situation than you offered them". Employees have agency, they aren't wild elephants who need your "protection" from "predators" who just want to pay them more.

[deleted]
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