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Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

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Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#401

"While we did not make this decision lightly..." Yes but you aren't doing it humanely, either. I've been through the dot com crash and several hard economic downturns. It really puts your company's humanity on full display. It's the real test. Preserving cash flow is important. But you also have to do things carefully, openly, and with genuine care for the people who've believed in your vision. People will respect th…

Humanistic business practices from fintech?

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#402
post #352
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worst part is that Coinbase's interviews are difficult. If I'd spent months studying, rejecting other (good faith) offers, and then had this happen I'd not only be in a bad spot (without a job entering a recession) but I'd be furious at the inequality of input and output. I've been interviewing for the past month and I made a rule that I won't be doing any algorithm interviews. I didn't have time to study; some f…

Seriously ? So let me get this straight: now, we're not allowed to ask people if they can perform an __essential function of the job__, without being labeled "inhumane" ? You interview for sanitation work, I want to know that you can sling a heavy bag of hot garbage. You interview for SWE, I want to know that you can throw a sling a heavy bag of hot garbage!!!

> now, we're not allowed to ask people if they can perform an __essential function of the job__, without being labeled "inhumane" ?

Please tell me of companies which ask about essential functions of the job? That's become infinitesmially rare.

Instead, interview are about memorizing algorithms and perfecting a theatrical delivery where you pretend to discover the fruits of years of research in 45 minutes.

In order words, things you will never ever do in the actual day to day job after getting hired.

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I’m actually trying - and apparently failing - to do is get you to reassess your misplaced confidence. You have a toy-like, airbrushed conception of value that is doing you an analytical disservice. If you’re in finance and interested in value, find a great textbook and get to reading. It’s a fascinating topic. I’ll leave you with Goethe: “Doubt grows with knowledge.”

This comment implies a great sense of knowledge, authority, and superiority on your part. But it doesn't demonstrate any of that. You couldn't even recommend specific reading. Just "a great textbook". A pretty frustrating comment, honestly.

I’m not gatekeeping. Parent’s misconception wouldn’t survive contact with any decent first-year undergraduate finance text book. There’s plenty of great curricula freely available on OCW, EdX, etc. Take your pick. Just read something.

Edit: You know what, forget the textbook: spend 5 minutes on [wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_value_(economics)).

I usually just ignore this stuff. But people repeat this garbage over, and over, and over on HN to disdain others (have a look at examples in this thread) and it’s just plain wrong.

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#404

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don't you ask the parent of the parent?

He said at least $200K. Which companies pay software developers over $200K and don’t require DS&A interviews? I doubt there are “thousands”

I live in the Bay Area, I'm looking above $200 base. There's at least ten, because that's what I started my search with. I'm down to three.

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#405
post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you think your employees will take revenge action after being let go, you need to do a lot better job at hiring people. I can't imagine many professionals would do something damaging to their employer on the way out. Facing legal troubles right when you are looking for a new job seems very shortsighted. Also, if you treat the people you are letting go as humans, they will be less likely to retaliate. Ironically, t…

Delusional. 99% of professionals can come across as nice and respectful in interviews, and have no criminal record. How could you possibly anticipate "a willingness to take revenge".

I’m assuming people you are laying off have worked with you long enough to get an idea of their character. If you are firing someone for cause, that is one thing; you are firing them because they aren’t what they originally seemed, so it makes sense to take precautions.

However, if you are laying someone off simply because the business if struggling, you presumably think they are trustworthy enough to employ. If you trusted them enough to give them the power before letting them go, you obviously trust them. If you are worried getting laid off will make them abuse that trust and use their access to cause damage, how could you trust them before you laid them off?

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly don't get the point of Coinbase. Isn't it a centralized system to manage what is supposed to be decentralized and that kinda defeats the purpose? I may be dumb.

You are indeed not dumb. Coinbase is a bit of an oxymoron. If decentralized value exchange takes off, that will surely be the end of Coinbase. To a degree, Coinbase's demise is baked into crypto's success - which is kinda funny to think about. Coinbase has always seemed like a bit of a money grab, and crypto veterans sort've treat it this way.

i expect the coinbase value-add is that you do not need to have key security (you trust them to handle it for you).

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A decade and a half of easy money leads to a lot of bullshit. I imagine many of those firms are your typical SV startup or wannabe SV startup that only exists due to easy money and doesn't yet have to make actual profit to survive. So they can tell themselves leetcode performance matters and get high on their own supply. In my experience the higher quality non-FAANG firms who aren't wildly popular places to work and…

Does a good way of finding these place exist? I would guess word of mouth and your network are best. As someone not super plugged into the VC world, and who is mostly interest in good sold work and interesting problems, and not the hype around “being a startup” I would be interested in knowing.

Avoid SV or just apply at non-tech companies

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#408

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cryptos have value because their investors all agree that they do. That’s where it ends. If those investors stopped believing that, their value would drop to zero because there’s no underlying material value supporting it’s market value. They’re shared delusions, and arguably self-perpetuating high-control groups. What I’m calling “real material value” are things like physical assets and profit generation capacity. C…

What I’m actually trying - and apparently failing - to do is get you to reassess your misplaced confidence. You have a toy-like, airbrushed conception of value that is doing you an analytical disservice. If you’re in finance and interested in value, find a great textbook and get to reading. It’s a fascinating topic. I’ll leave you with Goethe: “Doubt grows with knowledge.”

Whatever you’ve gotta tell yourself, buddy. I make reliable extra income every month relieving experts and believers like yourself of your crypto capital, so by all means, never change. The system needs suckers.

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I’m actually trying - and apparently failing - to do is get you to reassess your misplaced confidence. You have a toy-like, airbrushed conception of value that is doing you an analytical disservice. If you’re in finance and interested in value, find a great textbook and get to reading. It’s a fascinating topic. I’ll leave you with Goethe: “Doubt grows with knowledge.”

Whatever you’ve gotta tell yourself, buddy. I make reliable extra income every month relieving experts and believers like yourself of your crypto capital, so by all means, never change. The system needs suckers.

Good on ya mate.

Re: Coinbase is rescinding already-accepted job offers

#410
post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you personally know him well and have spoken with him at length about this, I don't think that opinion is based on anything substantial. A post on HN looking for a cofounder tells you only what the person wants you to believe they're thinking and feeling about what they're doing.

My opinion is based on it being completely insane to stake multiple years of your life on starting a cryptocurrency exchange in 2012 unless you had a sincere belief in the promise of blockchain technology. Crypto circa 2012 didn't look anything like what it is now.

People make insane gambles all the time? Some of the most neurotic people find success.

Imagine you could peer into all the class A gamblers, there'll always be a subset who get lucky and convince themselves they "worked harder' or whatever.

Point is, without proper interrogation, it looks like a gamble and crypto looks like a scam. There's always tops of pyramid schemes.

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