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I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

efinancialcareers.com

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Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#51

Post by notso411 »

Cpoll wrote: post #44
dfadsadsf wrote: post #24

I just do not believe this story. Nobody in the right mind will fire key software engineer 48 hours after system goes live. This is where all the bugs/problems show up and you need all hands on deck to fix them. Six months after launch when all problems are solved - absolutely, you can fire engineer. 48 hours after launch? absolutely not.

If you really want to fire someone, you're willing to bleed a little (or a lot) to do it. I've seen key personnel be let go, followed by a scramble to figure out what only they know. In this case it sounds like a "junior quant" who built an application in "months of hard work" while working 12hrs x 7days, and using technologies they learned on the fly. Sounds like me in my 20s, but I wasn't as indispensable as I thou…

[dead]

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#52

Post by speed_spread »

brrrrrm wrote: post #8

Not to slight the author, but Rust seems like quite a hard language to learn on the job.

Starting with knowledge of another statically typed language, Rust really isn't that hard. Borrow checker gymnastics take a few days to get over after which one can get relatively productive. There's plenty of code samples on GitHub and mature crates to get going on the db and web layers.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#53

Post by coolThingsFirst »

bigiain wrote: post #33
coolThingsFirst wrote: post #11

Only an idiot works 80 hours and especially for someone else’s s company and especially if it’s a startup.

I suspect a very large percentage of HN readers are probably idiots, by that measure. (Me included, for at least 4 or 5 different "someone else's companies" over the last 30 odd years.)

The exceptions prove the rule.

It’s like skipping life because all one does is work. Thats basically 12 hour workdays with sat and sunday 10 hour each.

Lets pray you were exaggerating a bit. :)

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#54

Post by abirch »

yaseer wrote: post #29
dfadsadsf wrote: post #24

I just do not believe this story. Nobody in the right mind will fire key software engineer 48 hours after system goes live. This is where all the bugs/problems show up and you need all hands on deck to fix them. Six months after launch when all problems are solved - absolutely, you can fire engineer. 48 hours after launch? absolutely not.

I agree, the story doesn't make sense as this person's perspective alone. It's probably only half the story.

We definitely don't know enough to make informed opinions. The manager may be new and had not anticipated how many bugs there would be on a version 1.0, the system may not have worked, or many other possibilities.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#55

Post by Paul-Craft »

dfadsadsf wrote: post #24

I just do not believe this story. Nobody in the right mind will fire key software engineer 48 hours after system goes live. This is where all the bugs/problems show up and you need all hands on deck to fix them. Six months after launch when all problems are solved - absolutely, you can fire engineer. 48 hours after launch? absolutely not.

That's a bold assumption that those involved in firing this person were in their right mind.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#56

Post by BobbyTables2 »

dfadsadsf wrote: post #24

I just do not believe this story. Nobody in the right mind will fire key software engineer 48 hours after system goes live. This is where all the bugs/problems show up and you need all hands on deck to fix them. Six months after launch when all problems are solved - absolutely, you can fire engineer. 48 hours after launch? absolutely not.

Do people continue paying plumbers and contractors after the job is done? Of course not…

I think it is too easy for an outsider to treat software the same.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#57

Post by senectus1 »

worik wrote: post #49
brink wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to break it to you, but people are going to be greedy and selfish with or without capitalism.

> ...people are going to be greedy and selfish with or without capitalism. True. But in capitalism greed is a fetish

not a fetish, but rewarding.

Survival of the fittest and the most powerful.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#58

Post by dimgl »

freeopinion wrote: post #17

Count yourself lucky that you got out with your liberty. It's not unheard of for quants that try to leave to be criminally prosecuted and placed in isolated incarceration. Getting fired sounds pretty good, no?

Sources?

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#59

Post by dopylitty »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #43

Just keep in mind that a business's role in society is to deliver something and bring in a profit. So if you don't bring revenue directly to the bottom line you are in line for layoffs. Don't fall in love with your job. The business is not in love with you. I suspect the fund's trading strategy was less than great so they had to cut expenses ASAP. I can't imagine why they would get rid of the person who would have to…

You overstate their role when you say it includes 'delivering something'.

The people who run most businesses would be perfectly happy delivering nothing at all and bringing in a profit. That's why businesses in the western economic system all end up turning purely into investment funds if left unchecked.

All profit, no product.

Re: I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me

#60

Post by Xunjin »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #43

Just keep in mind that a business's role in society is to deliver something and bring in a profit. So if you don't bring revenue directly to the bottom line you are in line for layoffs. Don't fall in love with your job. The business is not in love with you. I suspect the fund's trading strategy was less than great so they had to cut expenses ASAP. I can't imagine why they would get rid of the person who would have to…

Today business are more focused in making profit, delivering something to society is just a side effect.
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