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New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

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Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#161
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. I make less than $45/hr (salary with extra hours dragging it down further, but with benefits). Edit for background: I have 9 years experience, an MSIS working at a financial company.

If that's as a developer in a US city that's pretty underpaid

It's in the suburbs of an east coast city. I don't really see higher paying intermediate jobs (switched stacks a few times).

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#162
post #54

This is an encouraging move. My secondhand understanding was that Intel was losing top talent due to pressure to pay closer to median industry compensation. Top engineers recognized they were underpaid and left the company. I've been part of a similar downhill slide at a smaller company in the billion dollar revenue range. To be blunt, once the [mediocre] MBAs start realizing that the engineers are getting paid more…

I left Intel years ago to get almost 3x the salary as a software developer at... a bank. At Intel engineers are paid supposedly similar rates at similar levels and similar locations. And given my level (two levels above Senior Developer) I estimate I was paid better than at least 90% engineers. Where I worked in R&D the doors were constantly revolving and many people admitted they wait to register enough of prestigio…

>Where I worked in R&D the doors were constantly revolving and many people admitted they wait to register enough of prestigious time at Intel on their CV to get hired at a much better rate for another company.

>Rehiring retired people to me signals the new CEO has no trust in people that are already there.

And why should he, given the conditions you just outlined? I certainly wouldn’t. They’ve demonstrated they can’t advance either the process tech or the chip architecture in any meaningful way.

And I don’t even fault the engineers, but rather a finance-oriented CEO who managed for the bottom line, to goose stock prices and executive comp, while cannibalizing the engineering corps of the high-output talent and experienced technical leadership and mentoring necessary to advance one of the most complex, difficult technologies.

One possibility here is that Gelsinger is reversing that, rebuilding the original proven team from the top down, starting with the people who both know how that works, and have the connections to and respect from additional top technical talent to bring them on as well.

If Gelsinger also restructures compensation for these folks to ensure they’re appropriately compensated (way above “market rate”) then that’s confirmation that this isn’t panic but the right strategy of rebuilding Intel’s talent base.

And that report you linked was discussed yesterday, unclear how reliable it is:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25844959

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Headhunters for contract work at one FAANG company offer me $50 an hour for gigs utilizing the same skill set I’ve billed them $500 an hour for in the past.

"I’ve billed them $500 an hour for in the past" !!!...

For unsteady contracted project work, this doesn't sound off the mark for high-value niche skillsets at a senior or principal level. I wouldn't expect FAANGs to pay it for steady work, though.

Well, Netflix might come close. I can count two principal-level architects pulling north of 700k/y, but I doubt they work just 40 hours a week.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#164
post #54

This is an encouraging move. My secondhand understanding was that Intel was losing top talent due to pressure to pay closer to median industry compensation. Top engineers recognized they were underpaid and left the company. I've been part of a similar downhill slide at a smaller company in the billion dollar revenue range. To be blunt, once the [mediocre] MBAs start realizing that the engineers are getting paid more…

I left Intel years ago to get almost 3x the salary as a software developer at... a bank. At Intel engineers are paid supposedly similar rates at similar levels and similar locations. And given my level (two levels above Senior Developer) I estimate I was paid better than at least 90% engineers. Where I worked in R&D the doors were constantly revolving and many people admitted they wait to register enough of prestigio…

This is an excellent counter perspective.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#165
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I’ve billed them $500 an hour for in the past" !!!...

For unsteady contracted project work, this doesn't sound off the mark for high-value niche skillsets at a senior or principal level. I wouldn't expect FAANGs to pay it for steady work, though. Well, Netflix might come close. I can count two principal-level architects pulling north of 700k/y, but I doubt they work just 40 hours a week.

I just have trouble wrapping my head around how someone can be that valuable. I'll never even hit $75/hr (excluding inflation).

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#166

This is an encouraging move. My secondhand understanding was that Intel was losing top talent due to pressure to pay closer to median industry compensation. Top engineers recognized they were underpaid and left the company. I've been part of a similar downhill slide at a smaller company in the billion dollar revenue range. To be blunt, once the [mediocre] MBAs start realizing that the engineers are getting paid more…

Ex-Intel perspective: There is also a lot of work that needs to be done at Intel which requires mediocre engineers by the thousands. Intel does pay well to their top engineers which climb up in the ranks. The engineer working on CAD, layout, specs, RFQs, Suppliers, Equipment, etc are hardly going to revolutionize anything. Their work is valuable but they’re entirely replaceable. For every top engineer, you need 20 mi…

> Their work is valuable but they’re entirely replaceable.

Intel is replaceable.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ex-Intel perspective: There is also a lot of work that needs to be done at Intel which requires mediocre engineers by the thousands. Intel does pay well to their top engineers which climb up in the ranks. The engineer working on CAD, layout, specs, RFQs, Suppliers, Equipment, etc are hardly going to revolutionize anything. Their work is valuable but they’re entirely replaceable. For every top engineer, you need 20 mi…

> Their work is valuable but they’re entirely replaceable. Intel is replaceable.

Sorry, I’m not sure if I follow your point?

Basically, I was saying that top-engineers are irreplaceable but they need replaceable engineers to execute menial, boring, repetitive work. There is a lot of this to be done.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#168
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For unsteady contracted project work, this doesn't sound off the mark for high-value niche skillsets at a senior or principal level. I wouldn't expect FAANGs to pay it for steady work, though. Well, Netflix might come close. I can count two principal-level architects pulling north of 700k/y, but I doubt they work just 40 hours a week.

I just have trouble wrapping my head around how someone can be that valuable. I'll never even hit $75/hr (excluding inflation).

New grads in SFBA make well north of $75/hr. Sometimes it's all about geo.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#169
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For unsteady contracted project work, this doesn't sound off the mark for high-value niche skillsets at a senior or principal level. I wouldn't expect FAANGs to pay it for steady work, though. Well, Netflix might come close. I can count two principal-level architects pulling north of 700k/y, but I doubt they work just 40 hours a week.

I just have trouble wrapping my head around how someone can be that valuable. I'll never even hit $75/hr (excluding inflation).

Here in Boulder $100/hr is the cheapest you can find for a freelance developer worth their salt.

Re: New Intel CEO rehiring retired CPU architects

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mine gave me a top of the line MacBook Pro, fully loaded. Then loaded so much security crap on it that all cores are maxed out without me even touching machine. Base vim nearly unusable. Then they made it so I could only access things via a double Remote Desktop tunnel. Basically an expensive space heater. 3 months of nothing done until security software suffered an unfortunate accident.

> suffered an unfortunate accident scheduled or unscheduled?

If I select "unscheduled" will I have to fill a survey before I can reboot the machine?
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