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UK's hardware talent is being wasted

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Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#91

Post by wakawaka28 »

bdangubic wrote: post #86
wakawaka28 wrote: post #84

Keep importing skilled workers. I'm sure it will work out for you eventually. /s Seriously, I feel bad for our British bretheren. The UK government is seemingly out of control and actively working against the people. There are also long-running geopolitical trends like outsourcing to contend with. Talk too much about these things and you're probably getting sent to prison. It's time for the US to bring some democracy…

you switch UK and USA in your post and you are right

Lol the US is not without its problems but the UK is worse, hands down.

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#92

Post by xxpor »

trollbridge wrote: post #75
justin66 wrote: post #50

Aren't hardware salaries outside California basically shit even in the US?

Not that bad. Engineers in "flyover country" where I am seem to easily exceed six figures. My town has, ironically, a formerly British-owned firm (since bought out Berkshire Hathaway) that not only has six-figure engineering jobs, but shop floor jobs that are union and starting pay is $25/hr for unskilled - electrician and so on start higher, $30/hr, and only go up from there. The UK operations are still going, but e…

>Engineers in "flyover country" where I am seem to easily exceed six figures.

So do brand new software grads

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#93

Post by klelatti »

And the author's most recent tweet [1] (apart from one referring to this HN post):

> Is it just me or is UK’s hardware scene really kicking off again?

> Founder friends have just raised millions, moved into massive warehouses, imported CNC machines and some started metal casting.

> Even SaaS VC friends are talking about hardware now

[1] https://x.com/joseflchen/status/1881058447946391848

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#94

Post by seabass-labrax »

wakawaka28 wrote: post #84

Keep importing skilled workers. I'm sure it will work out for you eventually. /s Seriously, I feel bad for our British bretheren. The UK government is seemingly out of control and actively working against the people. There are also long-running geopolitical trends like outsourcing to contend with. Talk too much about these things and you're probably getting sent to prison. It's time for the US to bring some democracy…

> Talk too much about these things and you're probably getting sent to prison.

This trope is getting a bit ridiculous. For the record, the event that inspired the notion that complaining online could get you sent to person involved individuals encouraging the public to burn down council offices[1] and a hotel[2].

Conspiracy to commit arson has been one of the most serious offences in English law for centuries, and that's even before you add the murder part to it.

[1]: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/man-jailed-7-half-years-e...

[2]: https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/news/nottinghamshire/n...

PS. I am nonetheless aware that we burnt down the White House. On behalf of Britain, sorry about that.

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#95

Post by dzhiurgis »

GamerAlias wrote: post #40
refrigerator wrote: post #19

This is spot on. All the smart and ambitious people I know who studied (non-software) Engineering at university in the UK have ended up going into software engineering via self-teaching or finance/consulting because the only hardware engineering career paths seem to be working for Rolls Royce in the middle of nowhere with terrible pay, or alternatively working at Jaguar Land Rover in the middle of nowhere with terrib…

Preach. My friend is a gifted passionate Aerospace engineer (top in his specific stream at Cambridge) and basically is withering away working for the above 2 firms. The location is grim being far from others and generally far from other young exciting people. Additionally in his org, there just isn't a sense of excitement/ urgency which leaves him with little to do. Prioritising career for a career that's not there W…

Wait what. Quality of life in rural UK is worse than rat race of London?

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#96

Post by brcmthrowaway »

ajb wrote: post #71
brcmthrowaway wrote: post #8

What ever happened to GraphCore?

They made a bad bet on the structure of their designs. They were bought by SoftBank last year; they have a new design in the works, but might have trouble delivering it as apparently there's been a bit of a talent exodus. There are several newer companies trying their luck in the area.

I think d-matrix might succeed.

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#97

Post by zdragnar »

Discordian93 wrote: post #45
marbro wrote: post #27

Why don't all British hardware engineers move to the United States? What keeps them in Britain?

It's not that easy to get a work permit in the US unless you're truly exceptional or marry an American.

My cousin (an American living and working in France) married a guy originally from Morocco. After eventually realizing that they might want to move to the US, they couldn't, because he couldn't get a visa.

It would have taken quite a bit of time- my cousin would have had to move back to the US first, established residence, and gotten a job and some other requirements. Only then could they have qualified to apply, and the wait time for the application to be approved would be in the 9-14 months range.

Once they applied, he could have moved here with her, but not gotten a job, I think, until the application for the visa was approved.

Ultimately, they opted to go a different route.

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#98

Post by roenxi »

r_thambapillai wrote: post #87
bell-cot wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Unfortunately the UK has not been... 20 years, or 112 years? Consider just how far the UK's place in the world fell between 1911 (George V ascended to the throne of the global superpower; his Royal Navy was launching 2 to 4 new capital ships per year ) and 1948 (3 years after "winning" WWII - and basics such as food, clothing, and gasoline were still strictly rationed).

Very true, although I suppose a significant fraction of the decline at that time might be a result of the end of the Empire, which given that there are simply no such successful Empires anywhere in the world anymore was almost certainly inevitable. By comparison, the performance of the UK in the last 20 years vs the US or the Nordics is a singular tragedy.

> there are simply no such successful Empires anywhere in the world anymore

There is the US not-an-Empire [0] though, that'll probably count when the history books reflect on the present era. WWI/II can very easily be interpreted as a transition of power away from incompetent British leadership (indeed, European monarchies - the change pre- post- WWI is striking) towards more capable US-based leadership.

It isn't clear UK public ever really grappled how insufficient their leadership theory is. Their acceptance of poor performers over the last 20+ years has been striking although it is mirrored by low standards in the US.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_military_inst...

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#99

Post by bell-cot »

r_thambapillai wrote: post #87
bell-cot wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Unfortunately the UK has not been... 20 years, or 112 years? Consider just how far the UK's place in the world fell between 1911 (George V ascended to the throne of the global superpower; his Royal Navy was launching 2 to 4 new capital ships per year ) and 1948 (3 years after "winning" WWII - and basics such as food, clothing, and gasoline were still strictly rationed).

Very true, although I suppose a significant fraction of the decline at that time might be a result of the end of the Empire, which given that there are simply no such successful Empires anywhere in the world anymore was almost certainly inevitable. By comparison, the performance of the UK in the last 20 years vs the US or the Nordics is a singular tragedy.

I'd say ruin - in great part from the costs of two World Wars - came before the end of the Empire. Wikipedia notes of WWII - "Britain was left essentially bankrupt, with insolvency only averted in 1946 after the negotiation of a US$3.75 billion loan from the United States". Vs. the Partition and dissolution of the British Raj were in 1947.

Re: UK's hardware talent is being wasted

#100

Post by jameshart »

marbro wrote: post #27

Why don't all British hardware engineers move to the United States? What keeps them in Britain?

It's not obvious that the US is necessarily a better place to 'do hardware' than the UK for them anyway.

Plus if you're a UK-based person with a STEM background, the fintech industry will pay you a lot of money if you're willing to do their dirty work.

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