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Google stopping coding competitions

developers.googleblog.com

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Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#261

Post by cat_plus_plus »

steve_adams_86 wrote: post #39
burnished wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tip outs are better in bougie joints frequented by tech workers. This isnt a contradiction to your main point, maybe more of a damning with faint praise if anything.

> Tip outs are better in bougie joints frequented by tech workers. This sounds a little trickle-downy. Why not strive for an economy where people doing important work like feeding their communities just... Don't need to be tipped? I know it sounds crazy in today-terms, but if it makes any sense, it makes tipping culture look like more of a problem than a boon to anyone receiving the tips.

Tips create both performance incentives and price flexibility. In Europe, where tips are not customary, attitude from service workers is much worse than US. On the other hand, it's nice for someone of modest means to treat themselves to a restaurant or hotel at a lower price. Those are pro-consumer considerations, but service workers are also consumers of many other things.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#262

Post by rfrey »

tpmx wrote: post #226
finfrastrcuture wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A Tesla?

Let me say it: HN would be a better place without the obligatory downvotes for MS-critical posts. The other large companies' employees somehow avoid doing this, why can't you? Are you really that insecure? ('you' here not meaning the poster I just commented, but, well, you know who.)

Your comment hardly counts as "criticism." Drive by, low effort swipes at anything get downvoted a lot on HN.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#263

Post by q7xvh97o2pDhNrh »

gkoberger wrote: post #9

We could lament them shutting it down, but why not thank them for doing this for 20 years? That's a LONG time to do anything, and despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Now it's obvious and commonplace, but an employee-centric company was revolutionary at the time. Things like this changed the lives of every single person here, either directly or indirectly. And best yet, it's a chance fo…

> despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture.

Real talk: What companies are filling this role now?

I work at a FAANG, and it just does something to the soul. I can't describe what that thing is... but I routinely look at early-retirement calculators to cope with it.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#264

Post by andromeduck »

apetresc wrote: post #182
w10-1 wrote: post #144

Google, Apple, and perhaps 2-3 other companies, have the weird characteristic that they are unimaginably enormous, AND the vast majority of their value is actually goodwill. It's true that Apple makes good devices and Google does good search, but their competitors are good enough. What distinguishes Apple and Google from their competitors is that we like them more. Not "we" the technical literati, but "we" billions o…

What a weird premise. You really think anyone is buying iPhones because of the personal goodwill they feel about Apple or Tim or whatever?

Yes.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#265

Post by vineyardmike »

q7xvh97o2pDhNrh wrote: post #263
gkoberger wrote: post #9

We could lament them shutting it down, but why not thank them for doing this for 20 years? That's a LONG time to do anything, and despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Now it's obvious and commonplace, but an employee-centric company was revolutionary at the time. Things like this changed the lives of every single person here, either directly or indirectly. And best yet, it's a chance fo…

> despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Real talk: What companies are filling this role now? I work at a FAANG, and it just does something to the soul. I can't describe what that thing is... but I routinely look at early-retirement calculators to cope with it.

Google is still loads better than eg Amazon but its days are numbered. I’ve heard msft wlb is improving a lot.

I think the next gen of employee- first companies will be wfh centric (or something new and flexible) and 4 day work weeks. People realized slides and food wasn’t as good as free time and flexibility. I expect maxing their employees 401ks and generous cultural WLB.

Companies that are advancing technology and gaining a rep as tech first? Look at blog posts that gain lots of traction here: Fly.io, Cloudflare, and many others. etc. Avoid anything too trendy ( AI, blockchain) because they might not last the hype cycles.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#266

Post by vineyardmike »

sbrother wrote: post #196
elijaht wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even smaller no-name bay companies are starting to match on base salary (equity+bonus is harder to match). FWIW- I see a lot of places with matching or better base than FANG, but it's precisely because the equity at FAANG is so high. The only places I see with meaningfully higher pay than FAANG + hot tech companies of the day (ex. Doordash, Datadog, ...) are hedge funds. Curious if there is anywhere else

One thing that complicates this is that Google (and probably the rest of FAANG but I don’t have experience there) is happy to severely downlevel people versus the positions they could get elsewhere. They also aggressively cut compensation if you live outside of SF/NYC. I’ve done a couple stints as an L4 SWE at Google and it is one of the worst paying places I’ve worked - but that’s because I’m comparing it to larger…

> I’ve done a couple stints as an L4 SWE at Google

I’m curious. Does this mean you’ve left Google and returned multiple times at the same level while having better jobs elsewhere?

Not to be critical but why? (I ask because I’m considering returning to old places down/equileveled after being laid off somewhere and curious your reasons)

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#267

Post by anon223345 »

q7xvh97o2pDhNrh wrote: post #263
gkoberger wrote: post #9

We could lament them shutting it down, but why not thank them for doing this for 20 years? That's a LONG time to do anything, and despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Now it's obvious and commonplace, but an employee-centric company was revolutionary at the time. Things like this changed the lives of every single person here, either directly or indirectly. And best yet, it's a chance fo…

> despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Real talk: What companies are filling this role now? I work at a FAANG, and it just does something to the soul. I can't describe what that thing is... but I routinely look at early-retirement calculators to cope with it.

I agree - to me it’s “let’s pretend to be a startup, and KIND OF all buy into it”

But it’s not a startup, and you have very little ownership, and so little actually gets done

The rah rah rah fake cheerleading and silly hats

When you’re a consultant looking back at a FAANG everyone FAANG kinda comes off as an NPC it’s weird

I can’t speak for Netflix, don’t know anyone there

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#268

Post by marssaxman »

CydeWeys wrote: post #86
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Tip outs are better in bougie joints frequented by tech workers. This sounds a little trickle-downy. Why not strive for an economy where people doing important work like feeding their communities just... Don't need to be tipped? I know it sounds crazy in today-terms, but if it makes any sense, it makes tipping culture look like more of a problem than a boon to anyone receiving the tips.

The exact mechanism of employee compensation here doesn't matter. Either the tech worker pays $30+6 tip for a meal and the server makes $10, or the tech worker pays $36 with no tip for a meal and the server is paid more and still makes $10, it doesn't matter. The point is that a restaurant needs a large number of rich clientele in order for the restaurants' employees to make a lot of money.

It does matter. One system is transparent and predictable; the other one creates an awkward unwritten obligation and an uncomfortable power dynamic.

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#269

Post by seanhunter »

CydeWeys wrote: post #242
sethaurus wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not surprised that google has cooks as employees — but it's surprising to know they were hiring a cook when they had at most 52 other employees!

It's not that surprising to me. Ships with a crew of 8 will have a cook to feed everyone. Eating is pretty essential, and I think they were working pretty hard at the office back in those days.

When you're on a ship you don't have the option to walk into town or call for takeout so having a chef is essential. As a software company, food is a very nice perk but it is a perk. In my personal experience lots of companies outside of tech work equivalently hard but almost never have food provided.

Don't get me wrong, I really like food as a perk - it fosters cohesion and encourages people to form social bonds that help your company make it through difficult times etc, but it's far from the norm in other industries (except for media and entertainment where on-set catering is absolutely expected it seems).

Re: Google stopping coding competitions

#270

Post by afavour »

q7xvh97o2pDhNrh wrote: post #263
gkoberger wrote: post #9

We could lament them shutting it down, but why not thank them for doing this for 20 years? That's a LONG time to do anything, and despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Now it's obvious and commonplace, but an employee-centric company was revolutionary at the time. Things like this changed the lives of every single person here, either directly or indirectly. And best yet, it's a chance fo…

> despite what Google has become, it absolutely defined tech culture. Real talk: What companies are filling this role now? I work at a FAANG, and it just does something to the soul. I can't describe what that thing is... but I routinely look at early-retirement calculators to cope with it.

I don’t think any companies are. The industry is in a very stable, mature state right now and the culture is kind of defined. The last big disruption was probably the smartphone and App Store and that was what, 15 years ago now? Google managed to last that one out.

We were told Web3 would be the next disruption. Now we’re told it’s AI. The mere suggestion of Google messing that up tanked its stock price, maybe it’ll be real this time and OpenAI will define tech culture? I’m sceptical but hey, maybe.

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