Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

haseebq.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 132 posts

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#41

Post by mattm »

rdtsc wrote: post #36

It might be important to keep in mind that there is a large difference between negotiating to buy a car and negotiating to work some place. A lot of the stuff you read seems to be geared toward "buying a car" -- used top 10 tricks, outsmart somehow the dealer, maybe act like an asshole a bit, and you're leaving and never seeing them again. I don't see it always working too well in job negotiations. Approaching it tha…

There are two types of negotiations.

One where it is a one off deal and you will probably never work with the person again.

The other is where you are entering into a business arrangement that requires ongoing cooperation.

The same techniques cannot be applied to both. Unfortunately a lot of negotiation advice doesn't specify which situation it is better applied to but it's worth keeping in mind.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#42

Post by jayjay71 »

well_negotiator wrote: post #37
bentlegen wrote: post #25

Slightly-related: has anyone interviewing with Airbnb used the author's public starting offer of $220k total compensation to negotiate their own starting offer? Genuinely curious. http://haseebq.com/farewell-app-academy-hello-airbnb-part-ii...

Really sad to know he didn't get a good offer in Airbnb and you both think it's a good offer. But this looks totally like a new grad offer. I have my friends who just got offers in Airbnb who are getting paid 180k in salary and ~600K in stocks which is basically $330k/year. My other friend who is senior engineer with 5 year experience is compensated around 500k/year. I have similar experience and i recently did a job…

Care to share some of the offers you got?

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#43

Post by Hydraulix989 »

jayjay71 wrote: post #29
bentlegen wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you have ever done a software engineering interview, you would know that this is completely absurd. There is no way to negotiate or charm someone into passing a software engineering interview. I'm sure the author is sufficiently qualified to pass such an interview (or 8), but I find this statement pretty bizarre. "Charm" might not be the right word, but under-qualified candidates pass software engineering interv…

This is a particularly interesting anecdote about someone faking his way into Google, and then later starting a company almost as famous. https://www.wired.com/2013/04/fakeit/

Imposture syndrome is very much the other side of the same coin, unfortunately.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#44

Post by gbrindisi »

As a side note I've found that negotiation room in EU is so tiny if not negligible. Maybe it is just me but I suspect it's a mix between a different culture and a - generally - more unionized and segmented job market.

Wondering if you guys have experienced the same.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#46

Post by stale2002 »

well_negotiator wrote: post #37
bentlegen wrote: post #25

Slightly-related: has anyone interviewing with Airbnb used the author's public starting offer of $220k total compensation to negotiate their own starting offer? Genuinely curious. http://haseebq.com/farewell-app-academy-hello-airbnb-part-ii...

Really sad to know he didn't get a good offer in Airbnb and you both think it's a good offer. But this looks totally like a new grad offer. I have my friends who just got offers in Airbnb who are getting paid 180k in salary and ~600K in stocks which is basically $330k/year. My other friend who is senior engineer with 5 year experience is compensated around 500k/year. I have similar experience and i recently did a job…

O.o These numbers are surprisingly high, to the point of almost being unbelievable.

And I go around telling my friends that software engineers can make 120k right out of college, and I'M getting laughed at by my friends at how apparently unbelievable ridiculously high this is.

I've got 3 years experience and I'm making not much more than that working at a midsized startup (I went to a top tech school and everything!).

And then I go on Hacker News and learn that the fair salary for people working at big companies, with around my experience is 330k!?! Man what am I doing wrong.

Is this what it is like being the mythical, 10x developer unicorn that I hear so much about?

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#47

Post by shostack »

brianwawok wrote: post #3
35bge57dtjku wrote: post #2

> Now say you end up turning down their offer. They’ve spent over $24,000 just extending this single offer to you (to say nothing of opportunity costs), and now they’ll essentially have to start over from scratch. Most of that is to hire someone, not just 'you'. And they aren't even close to having to start from scratch if you don't accept.

True. But they really do want you if they made an offer. I have never heard of someone asking for 5k more get their offer yanked, but I know people afraid to ask for that reason. The exact # they lose if you say no isn't the point. You are the top choice. Doesn't mean they will double your offer but they do like you.

Try speaking to more non engineers. Not being snarky, but this is only applicable to professions that are in hot demand. But that should go without saying.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#48

Post by rl3 »

well_negotiator wrote: post #37
bentlegen wrote: post #25

Slightly-related: has anyone interviewing with Airbnb used the author's public starting offer of $220k total compensation to negotiate their own starting offer? Genuinely curious. http://haseebq.com/farewell-app-academy-hello-airbnb-part-ii...

Really sad to know he didn't get a good offer in Airbnb and you both think it's a good offer. But this looks totally like a new grad offer. I have my friends who just got offers in Airbnb who are getting paid 180k in salary and ~600K in stocks which is basically $330k/year. My other friend who is senior engineer with 5 year experience is compensated around 500k/year. I have similar experience and i recently did a job…

>My other friend who is senior engineer with 5 year experience is compensated around 500k/year.

>If you're really good, you can easily negotiate up to 400k/year real money(cash + stocks).

It's funny how early stage startups talk of hiring "the best" and most can't even come close to affording that level of compensation.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#49

Post by Hydraulix989 »

Apocryphon wrote: post #39
_gjav wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He didn't get a 250k salary, that was total compensation, largely RSUs on a standard vesting schedule. He also donates 1/3rd of his pre-tax income to charity. He wasn't just a graduate of a hacker bootcamp, he was hired on by App Academy after he finished and was quickly promoted up to Director of Product. He spent a lot of time teaching people how to pass whiteboard interviews. He was probably better prepared for an…

Sounds like less of an indictment of him, and more of an indictment of the software interview process in SV and shark-feeding nature of the bubble.

Yes, I am less interested in the details of his specific case (I realize I might have made some rash judgments earlier on), and more interested in furthering the discussion behind the general trends underlying the Valley's hiring processes and brainstorming ways to possibly even improve them.

Re: How Not to Bomb Your Offer Negotiation

#50

Post by [deleted] »

stale2002 wrote: post #46
well_negotiator wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really sad to know he didn't get a good offer in Airbnb and you both think it's a good offer. But this looks totally like a new grad offer. I have my friends who just got offers in Airbnb who are getting paid 180k in salary and ~600K in stocks which is basically $330k/year. My other friend who is senior engineer with 5 year experience is compensated around 500k/year. I have similar experience and i recently did a job…

O.o These numbers are surprisingly high, to the point of almost being unbelievable. And I go around telling my friends that software engineers can make 120k right out of college, and I'M getting laughed at by my friends at how apparently unbelievable ridiculously high this is. I've got 3 years experience and I'm making not much more than that working at a midsized startup (I went to a top tech school and everything!)…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN