I wonder what proportion of HN would have different careers if software engineering paid, say, as much as humanities while humanities paid like software engineering. It seems like everyone here (myself included) isn't really in it for the money, but who knows what would happen.
How to Hire Your First Engineer
21–30 of 133 posts
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#22Some traits I look for in engineer #1: a) should obsess about architecture and code organization (they will be laying a foundation so having a bit of OCD helps), b) should make good tradeoffs and optimize for speed (they will be building the wrong things initially), c) mature enough to understand that they will be writing and rewriting a lot (see (b)) and d) last but not least, should have a strong desire to do a sta…
Don't you mean not optimize for speed, since they will be building the wrong things initially?
I think they meant optimize for speed of writing code not running it.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#23I wonder what proportion of HN would have different careers if software engineering paid, say, as much as humanities while humanities paid like software engineering. It seems like everyone here (myself included) isn't really in it for the money, but who knows what would happen.
I would have gone for the humanities in your scenario. What do you think, I'm stupid and go for breadless jobs? I love doing good work and what that good work is doesn't matter that much. If gardening paid as well I'd be gardening.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#24I wonder what proportion of HN would have different careers if software engineering paid, say, as much as humanities while humanities paid like software engineering. It seems like everyone here (myself included) isn't really in it for the money, but who knows what would happen.
I like software engineering and have always had a personal interest in it. In fact, I'd say that I'm more passionate about it than 90% of the programmers I've worked with and spoken to.
Having said that, software engineering as a profession is shitty in some respects. I don't think I would do it if it paid as little as the humanities. I'd continue doing it on my own time, but the drudgery of dealing with other people's bad code, corporate practices, clueless bosses, clients who undervalue and lowball you, etc. wouldn't be worth dealing with.
It's not so much that I wouldn't be able to make a living, because I think I'd be content living on relatively little(as I am currently experiencing), but life is just too short to deal with professional software engineering when I'd get so little out of it.
Alternatively, I'd just go into woodworking. Income becomes relative to the quality of work produced (I've never worked anywhere that actually cared about or rewarded quality code) and I could say or do whatever I want without someone else reaping most of the benefits and judging my actions by outdated 1950s office standards.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#25These are good points for finding your first engineer, but here is a tip for helping close your dream hire: offer more equity.
Your first eng hire will shoulder nearly all of the technical burden soon after as the founders transition into more of the non-technical roles (sales, outreach, recruiting, fundraising, business strategy). The amount of blood, sweat, and tears poured in by the first eng hire is somewhat less than a founder, yes, but not the 30-50x typical equity ratio we see today.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#26Nice article.
On TripleByte - they should make it clearer that the platform is only for the Bay Area and Software Engineering.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#27I've been hired as Engineer #1 at two startups (both doing well). I wrote some thoughts recently about how I was recruited into that role: https://twitter.com/philfreo/status/1012171080834969601 On the hiring side, I also incorporated some hard lessons learned about growing our Eng team from 2 to 14 here: http://philfreo.com/blog/when-who-how-to-hire-an-engineering...
I've done the #1 employee thing too. The founder was someone I had worked for previously. He was technical enough that I didn't have to worry about growing the team from there, he handled it all.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#28I wonder what proportion of HN would have different careers if software engineering paid, say, as much as humanities while humanities paid like software engineering. It seems like everyone here (myself included) isn't really in it for the money, but who knows what would happen.
I love engineering. But you know what, when rent is $3000+ per month, there's only so far my rational mind will let me go.
I loved art and drawing too. But I wisely chose not to master in art when going to college.
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#29An interesting exercise: assume the first engineering hire you want has to be at least the senior engineer bar at a top tech firm.
In order for the engineer's median compensation to match the median compensation he would make working at FANG, how much stock would you have to give them making reasonable assumption about valuations (ie, assume your start up will have a trajectory in the top 30% percentile, but not in the top 0.1%).
Re: How to Hire Your First Engineer
#30These are good points for finding your first engineer, but here is a tip for helping close your dream hire: offer more equity. Your first eng hire will shoulder nearly all of the technical burden soon after as the founders transition into more of the non-technical roles (sales, outreach, recruiting, fundraising, business strategy). The amount of blood, sweat, and tears poured in by the first eng hire is somewhat less…
Depends on pay, right? If you are offering employee #1 market pay, why would you give them 10% equity? That is potentially millions of dollars for not taking a risk.
I have been on both sides of this, and have thoughts. What do you think is fair for employee #1 making at or near market rate?