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Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

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111–120 of 145 posts

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#111
post #60

No way. He is undoubtedly smart and well-documented as unwise. I have seen enough organizations run by smart, unwise people.

It’s not often you see people distinguish between smart and unwise. I agree with your assessment. For me, smart is about navigating difficult obstacles and overcoming them. Wisdom is overseeing and having insight in what your actions (including what you say) have for an impact.

Impact is a good way to put it. At least dumb, unwise people have less impact.

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#112
post #19

I would also never work for Amazon. Their recruiting has contacted me many times over the years. But not in a million year would I work for them.

Just to provide my data point. I am an okay SDE, average for this site. I enjoy working at AWS. My team is particularly good to belong to, but I know at least 5 teams I would enjoy working at, and just 1 I would avoid. I work normal hours, have phenomenal pay and benefits, and the scale is very satisfying.

The only thing I dislike is the yearly performance review (I really really hate boasting about my achievements), but I heard all the large tech companies are like this, so I probably will have to deal with them for the rest of my career.

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#113
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are the conditions though. Your options are to work for him or not. What else are you going to do? Complain about it on HN? For what?

Those are not the conditions Twitter employees signed for when they started working for Twitter.

Ever see a shitty restaurant with a big sign that says "under new management"?

Things change, can't be a retirement home for millennials while losing money indefinitely. Twitter is in San Francisco, not Portland.

There is a good chance this company will simply run out of money and go bankrupt.

You could play the speculation game of whether it has a better fighting chance with or without Elon (people who don't like his politics and personality will no doubt take the opportunity to screech uninteresting things on this matter) but here we are.

If it doesn't energize people who work there and they want to throw in the towel that's alright. But people who stay need to be clear eyed that the road ahead is uncertain and difficult. Especially in this economy.

If you work for twitter the memelord posting things you find objectionable is the least of your problems. Not to mention highly ironic.

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#115

Today, no way. Maybe 2 decades ago when I was a teenager and valued money way more. But regardless of his business outcomes, I'm not going to ever work for a manchild throwing public tantrums, who can't be criticised for valid reasons. His decision making process of throwing stuff and seeing what sticks is also something I don't want to deal with every day at work. Life's too short to be a dictator's puppet.

I value money a lot more than I did two decades ago. Two decades ago I was a young, “fight the system”, James Dean want-to-be. Now I have a family, mortgage, and the kids need braces. And my water heater is making weird sounds.

I don't think any of that justifies anything except in thevery short term. You gotta do what you gotta do sometimes, but not for life. Your family would rather have their dad than their dads paycheck. It doesn't require 120hours of hell at work just to secure food and shelter.

Why do I care? Everyone who is willing to abase themselves and suffer abuse makes the world suck more for everyone else who would demand a little basic dignity.

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#117
Today: hard no

When I was in my thirties: possibly

When I was in my twenties: hard yes

(I've since read some other comments and money is not the issue; the chance to work on something possibly world changing [Musk's Application X] is the issue).

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#118
I voted "no" but honestly it depends entirely on the job market. It's amazing how low your standards go when you're jobless and have a family to feed. Back in 2008 I took a job with a founder I'd describe as a Mini-Elon and it really sucked, but what sucks more is living in your car.

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#119
post #71
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody is talking about his politics. They are talking about his management style.

Well, well, speak of gaslighting. The twitter employees have been hostile to him since before him buying this dumpster fire was ever a rumor. People are almost exclusively talking about his politics. Unless I report to him directly his management style is hardly my problem. Even if it is directly, well.. honestly don't find that stressful either. If he is being a stupid idiot I'd tell him just that, have in the past.…

> If management is not living in reality part of the gig is to push back

That's exactly what is happening

Re: Poll: Would You Work for Elon?

#120
post #18

I'd work for Elon 10 years ago when he was focused on things like making life multi planetary and advancing the electrification of transport. If I didn't have a family I'd work for SpaceX 10 years ago for 1/2 my current pay and pull 80 hour weeks. Elon today seems to be focusing most of his energy on political concerns that are frankly beneath him and very very stupid. Someone with his means and skills should not car…

Elon is one of those guys who is incidentally doing good for the human race but i suspect the motive is mostly for personal glory.

Both/and I think, at least for Elon 1.0 (Elon up to about 5 years ago).
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