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Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

oxide.computer

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Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#141

Post by Aeolun »

IshKebab wrote: post #108
__jonas wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what you're saying, are you implying Oxide is doing this?

Almost certainly. You really think they are paying their cleaners and receptionist $200k?

At 75 headcount I very much doubt you need either of those on staff full-time?

You can certainly make do without if your goal is to keep paying everyone the same.

I think in a smaller company I was part of all support tasks were rolled into a single ‘office manager’ role. When it’s all combined like that 200k becomes easier to justify.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#142

Post by piperswe »

ahl wrote: post #80
tgma wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sun or otherwise it’s not the beginning of his career. I don’t mean they are billionaires but I’m willing to bet they don’t need to collect cash to pay downpayment like an average Google L4 on their first starter townhouse in Sunnyvale which will get more expensive while they receive their 200ks, so yeah I know exactly what I’m talking about. He knows very well too.

I can't speak for everyone at Oxide, but I'm practically certain that none of us wants to live in Sunnyvale.

I don't work at Oxide but I have done an Emeryville Sunnyvale commute, so I can confirm that Oxide employees almost certainly do not want to deal with that

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#143

Post by mastax »

Aeolun wrote: post #138
schneems wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add: I saw job listings recently posted on bsky and was enjoying how well written they were. The support engineer role description asked that they be able to fly to a customers site at short notice. That’s a whole other level of on-call right there.

> The support engineer role description asked that they be able to fly to a customers site at short notice. Kinda makes sense if you sell physical hardware?

Also some of their customers are airgapped so if they’ll let you touch the machine that’ll make debugging a lot easier.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#144

Post by michaelt »

__jonas wrote: post #64
michaelt wrote: post #23

> One of the more incredible (and disturbingly frequent) objections I have heard is: "But is that what you’ll pay support folks?" I continue to find this question offensive, but I no longer find it surprising: the specific dismissal of support roles reveals a widespread and corrosive devaluation of those closest to customers. The easy way to "pay everyone the same amount" when you sorta don't want to is to outsource…

Not sure what you're saying, are you implying Oxide is doing this?

No, I have no first-hand evidence that they are.

It's possible they're 100% remote with no receptionists or cleaners. Even if they have offices, a surprising number of highly remunerated jobs involve pushing a mop from time to time.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#145

Post by senderista »

steveklabnik wrote: post #125
senderista wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never bothered applying because they explicitly said they didn't want candidates who didn't finish college.

Where did we say that? My general understanding of our hiring practices is that we do not have minimum education requirements.

No, it was more like dropping out of college is a red flag.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#146

Post by mrcwinn »

steveklabnik wrote: post #97
parrit wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the point. "$175k is good enough for me" doesn't mean much, especially as they also have a large stake in the company (not an assumption) as well as possibly other advantages (or not, they dont divulge). Don't get me wrong. Rethinking comp is great and they are paying well. But you can't make the argument that X is enough for founders (plus let's forget equity!!) and so X is generous for everyone.

We all receive equity.

All the same equity, I assume?

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#147

Post by tw04 »

abxyz wrote: post #48

I like it a lot and their thoughtfulness about it but it's a little hollow when they're spending investor money. I'd like to see how this model evolves once they're off the vc teat: when there's a bottom line to answer to, does the dynamic shift? Everyone has an on-site chef when the money vc hose is on. Valve's flat structure was exciting because it wasn't 3 vc's in a coat larping as a business, it was an actual pro…

> Sales as a competitive sport is cultural, not fundamental.

Can you name a single successful business that reflects your claim? Because I don’t know of any successful sales organizations that don’t pay commission.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#148

Post by sunshowers »

alistairSH wrote: post #140
sunshowers wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work at Oxide, and support engineering is worth far more than that. It literally means the rest of us don't have to be on customer oncall all the time — I've spent long stretches of my career doing that and it's extraordinarily stressful. Do you know how valuable that can be?

Sure, but at some size, the support engineers are at max workload and you hire somebody to triage calls for them.

We're building our product in a way that we stave that off as long as possible! In many ways the whole theory of our product is to avoid that kind of issue.

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#149

Post by tw04 »

tgma wrote: post #58
abxyz wrote: post #48

I like it a lot and their thoughtfulness about it but it's a little hollow when they're spending investor money. I'd like to see how this model evolves once they're off the vc teat: when there's a bottom line to answer to, does the dynamic shift? Everyone has an on-site chef when the money vc hose is on. Valve's flat structure was exciting because it wasn't 3 vc's in a coat larping as a business, it was an actual pro…

You hit the nail on the head re sales being the canary in the coalmine. I just read the original post which I found distasteful and on-brand with Cantrill virtue signaling. Everyone is equal but some people are more equal: some get founder equity and some measly basis points. To boot, founders already made their money from Sun Microsystems looking for retirement entertainment and more than 175 or 200k is gonna be tax…

To be frank, even if you had a point to make, making outlandish claims about someone else’s personal financial status when I’m willing to bet you know absolutely nothing about it, is pretty distasteful.

And frankly if you don’t like how Cantrill and company structured their compensation incentives, start your own company and do something different?

Re: Oxide’s compensation model: how is it going?

#150

Post by atonse »

mastax wrote: post #143
Aeolun wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The support engineer role description asked that they be able to fly to a customers site at short notice. Kinda makes sense if you sell physical hardware?

Also some of their customers are airgapped so if they’ll let you touch the machine that’ll make debugging a lot easier.

So this surprised me. If their customers are the kind that have airgapped servers, I’m surprised to see roles that all accept worldwide applicants.
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