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Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

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Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#51

Post by merijnv »

wooster wrote: post #19

They are about business model discovery. So if you are fundamentally a technologist at heart, whose heart sings when you’re making a better file system, or fixing a kernel bug, you’re not going to be happy at a startup. There are plenty of storage startups in Silicon Valley that would be happy to pay someone to do filesystem work. Web 2.0 startups are not the only game in town. There are plenty of other companies at…

Of course, but why go to those if you can do the same work at Google and actually be sure they'll be able to pay you more then you need to life comfortably.

Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#52

Post by wooster »

merijnv wrote: post #51
wooster wrote: post #19

They are about business model discovery. So if you are fundamentally a technologist at heart, whose heart sings when you’re making a better file system, or fixing a kernel bug, you’re not going to be happy at a startup. There are plenty of storage startups in Silicon Valley that would be happy to pay someone to do filesystem work. Web 2.0 startups are not the only game in town. There are plenty of other companies at…

Of course, but why go to those if you can do the same work at Google and actually be sure they'll be able to pay you more then you need to life comfortably.

Because at least at the startup you have the possibility, however remote, of getting FU money and never having to answer to anybody you don't like, ever again.

And besides, if you're that good, you don't really have any worries about getting paid what you're worth.

Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#53

Post by pauljburke »

thetrumanshow wrote: post #16
sparky wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the flip side, much of the value you are able to create may come as the result of the infrastructure and colleagues provided to you by that same "someone else". Seems particularly true at a place like Google. When you work for yourself, you get to keep 100% (minus taxes) of (probably) a smaller number; whether that is best for you depends on your personality.

Even so, if you're a top performer, you end up subsidizing the paychecks of a lot of people.

If you're a top performer, unless the place you are at is losing money you aren't subsidising anyone's paycheck - I assume that the people skimming the cream off your contribution do exactly the same to every employee and anyone that isn't contributing (the value of) at least their own salary (should) would be shown the door.

I suspect it gets diverted to senior management (founders?) and shareholders. Given we are commenting on this at ycombinator.com, I don't have a problem with it, since I'm hoping to end up in either or both categories at some point.

Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#54

Post by qq66 »

wooster wrote: post #52
merijnv wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course, but why go to those if you can do the same work at Google and actually be sure they'll be able to pay you more then you need to life comfortably.

Because at least at the startup you have the possibility, however remote, of getting FU money and never having to answer to anybody you don't like, ever again. And besides, if you're that good, you don't really have any worries about getting paid what you're worth.

The whole FU money is mostly a fallacy. If you really love filesystem hacking, and you live in Silicon Valley and are really good at it, you already never have to answer to anybody you don't like, ever again. If you don't like your boss, you can quit, and do this 50 times if you want.

And people shouldn't work for a "possibility, however remote." That's called playing the lottery and is generally foolish.

Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#55

Post by johngalt »

DevX101 wrote: post #27
johngalt wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that's not really what's happening. A skilled engineer who focuses solely on engineering will produce much better work than a skilled engineer that also has to focus on /marketing /sales /investors /accounting /facilities /IT /management /HR Either a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond. Edit: Also consider that you may be a person that can produce a lot of value specialized, but practically no…

With a name like johngalt I would think you'd be supporting his argument ;)

Atlas Shrugged is a fun fantasy, but in reality there are many different valuable specialties. It's all too easy to dismiss anyone that doesn't do what you do as worthless.

That said I do agree that a very small number of people in any organization are responsible for the lion's share of the productivity and are inadequately compensated for that.

Re: Google has a problem retaining great engineers? Bullcrap.

#56

Post by martinkallstrom »

myth_drannon wrote: post #43
martinkallstrom wrote: post #31

In Sweden, Google has aquired Marratech and Global IP Solutions. Both are all about hardcore codec innovation, not business model discovery. Google was licensing tech from GIPS long before they aquired it. If big companies are where heavy tech is developed, aquisitions like those would never happen. NB. Another Google aquisition from Sweden was Trendalyzer, Hans Rosling's visualization technology famous from his TED…

It's a tie with Germany (allPAY,bruNET,Neven Vision Germany )

Ok, so let's make it per capita :)
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