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What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

letsencrypt.org

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Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#341

Post by wpietri »

resmote wrote: post #252
jlukanta wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe you aren't a great engineer?

That's pretty insulting to suggest in any case and borders on a reprehensible attitude to take personally against someone.

You offered yourself as the example. You don't have a lot of room for complaint when people look at the example you provided.

If it helps you unbunch your undies on this topic, consider that "great" in the original meaning was something like "world class". There's no shame in not being one of the top people in the world.

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#343

Post by wpietri »

sidlls wrote: post #275
eropple wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People who are near the top of the skill curve, and can present a business case for being paid like it , don't make $75K in Omaha for that job. (They may make $9K in Phuket, but there are additional factors on top of that.) If I left Boston today, I'd still make what I make here. I have considered doing exactly that.

That really depends on very much more than your skill as an engineer, and the ability to "present a business case for being paid like it" simply does not apply to the majority of employment negotiation scenarios--even ones involving the very best of the best engineers. Most, in fact almost all employers have fixed salary schedules for their positions and they simply will not deviate from these as a rule, nor will the…

It doesn't have to apply to the majority of employment negotiation scenarios. It just has to apply to enough of a particular class of worker to set the market price.

I would also suggest your understanding of how often exceptions are made is very unlikely to be based on good data. Employers have ways of hiding that they are paying somebody more than their traditional salary structure when they need to make an exception. And a very strong incentive to do that hiding.

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#344

Post by imtringued »

zeveb wrote: post #116
jedberg wrote: post #37

To everyone complaining about the $250K (see edit, it's actually 200K) per person in salary (which seems to be everyone at the moment), a few things to keep in mind: 1) That includes benefits 2) They are in Silicon Valley and have to compete with everyone else in Silicon Valley 3) Given what they have accomplished with such a small team, these are probably high caliber people. 4) In SV there is a good 25% premium you…

I think $200K/person is fine, but I do quibble with this: > They are in Silicon Valley and have to compete with everyone else in Silicon Valley Why? Why compete for talent in Silicon Valley when there are people all over the country who'd love to work on something like this? I can get why they might prefer not to do remote teams (it's a challenge), but there are cities like Seattle, Boston, Denver, Dallas, Kansas Cit…

If the employees lived in Silicon Valley they would probably demand more than 200k/year for the same skill.

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#345

Post by tomcam »

rmc wrote: post #101
koolba wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For those who've deployed with Let's Encrypt, did you get a quarter's worth of value from their service? The certificate price isn't even the issue. It's the signup + auto-renew! Before LE came out, I would have paid $100 to not have to 1) Not go through the hassle of manually ordering certs and 2) Not having to log back into servers to periodically update them. I get both of those with LE ... the fact that it's fr…

How about donating $100 to Lets Encrypt then? :P

After reading your suggestion, I just donated $200--it was $100 but I stepped in for koolba

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#346

Post by metafunctor »

jedberg wrote: post #130
zeveb wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think $200K/person is fine, but I do quibble with this: > They are in Silicon Valley and have to compete with everyone else in Silicon Valley Why? Why compete for talent in Silicon Valley when there are people all over the country who'd love to work on something like this? I can get why they might prefer not to do remote teams (it's a challenge), but there are cities like Seattle, Boston, Denver, Dallas, Kansas Cit…

As covered elsewhere, most of the team is remote. But they still get SV salaries because great people get those salaries no matter where they are.

I'm guessing part of the negative reaction you're getting is because great people don't just "get SV salaries" no matter what. To get an SV salary, you need to find employment at a company able and willing to pay an SV salary. Being a great engineer does help a lot, but you need to chase the salary, it won't just fall into your lap.

It's much harder if you want to be remote, and very hard if you want to live in a country where no company pays SV salaries.

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#347

Post by startling »

jakewins wrote: post #308
startling wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Let's Encrypt believes that's the best way to spend their money, they'll do that. Do you think you've thought more about their sustainability than they have?

I'm not talking about how Let's Encrypt spends it's money, I'm talking about how I spend mine :)

Assuming Let's Encrypt knows more about its sustainability than you do, and given that they can also invest their money in index funds if they believe it's the right approach, isn't giving the money to them outright just better?

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#348

Post by toomanybeersies »

TheGrassyKnoll wrote: post #246
secabeen wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. Here at UC, the non-salary costs can be in excess of 60% of salary.

We can take that to an extreme: (from 2015) http://time.com/3651697/afghanistan-war-cost/ "...the CRS (Congressional Research Service) report says the cost of keeping a single American soldier there (Afghanistan) this year is an eye-watering $3.9 million..." I don't think there's too many millionaires coming back from Afghanistan.

"Each Javelin round costs $80,000, and the idea that it’s fired by a guy who doesn’t make that in a year at a guy who doesn’t make that in a lifetime is somehow so outrageous it almost makes the war seem winnable.”

- Sebastian Junger

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#349

Post by toomanybeersies »

callesgg wrote: post #235
maker1138 wrote: post #57

They are not paying $250k per employee. You have to factor in payroll taxes, paying accountants to keep books and CPAs to do taxes, benefits, and a multitude of other regulation-imposed payroll costs. All of this is to support salaries of around $125k - $150k. The same goes for pretty much any employer. If a fast food restaurant hires someone at $8/hr, it actually costs them around $16/hr to hire the employee. In a f…

In Sweden the head of state earns less money than the average Let's Encrypt employee.

The President of the United States earns less than some federal employees.

Same here in New Zealand, the Prime Minister earns less than several public servants.

Re: What It Costs to Run Let's Encrypt

#350

Post by [deleted] »

YuriNiyazov wrote: post #232
billiam wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You people are hilarious. Hey, YC, I've got a great idea for a startup in the incredibly hot cert/encryption space. The team is world class and in place. The product is shipping and customers are doubling every 6 months. $8 million at $40 million please. Y'all idolize the bloodsuckers in Teslas that run this site, and give Josh and team grief. Jeez.

I somehow can't imagine 'dang owns a Tesla. Seems a like a Boosted Board guy to me. Also, not a bloodsucker.

[deleted]
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