Ask HN: I have had no impact at a FAANG. Is this normal?

#1

Post by quickaskq » Fri, Aug 07, 2020, 8:13 AM UTC

Hi everyone. I’m a little past 3 years at a FAANG; as I look back at what I’ve done I’ve realized that I’ve had little to no impact. No major features shipped. Nothing I can point to and say I designed that. Nothing I can brag about. What have I made? Dashboards no one looks at. Bug fixes, so many bug fixes. Half made features that were cut months in due to poor planning. And so much, what I like to call, dashboard clicking.

I’m not sure what to think about this. I have golden handcuffs here at FAANG. I’m not too willing to take a different job given my sweet gig. Plus I don’t have to work super hard. But in return I get an unfulfilling job.

What is your experience?

Re: Ask HN: I have had no impact at a FAANG. Is this normal?

#2

Post by HugThem » Fri, Aug 07, 2020, 8:18 AM UTC

    I’m not too willing to take a different
    job given my sweet gig.

This Steve Jobs quote comes to mind:

"A human mind is too precious to be wasted"

Re: Ask HN: I have had no impact at a FAANG. Is this normal?

#3

Post by nabla9 » Fri, Aug 07, 2020, 8:33 AM UTC

>I have golden handcuffs here at FAANG. I’m not too willing to take a different job given my sweet gig

Welcome to the adulthood and learning something about yourself.

People don't have a goal to become a "corporate drone". They just realize it's the solution that fits their temperament and comfort zone.

Re: Ask HN: I have had no impact at a FAANG. Is this normal?

#4

Post by ai_ja_nai » Fri, Aug 07, 2020, 8:39 AM UTC

Enjoy that at least you made to get hired. You stand on top of a mountain, taller than the Everest, of rejected candidates bodies, most of which were really brilliant at being software engineers.

Re: Ask HN: I have had no impact at a FAANG. Is this normal?

#5

Post by qohen » Fri, Aug 07, 2020, 10:05 AM UTC

HugThem wrote: post #2

I’m not too willing to take a different job given my sweet gig. This Steve Jobs quote comes to mind: "A human mind is too precious to be wasted"

This Steve Jobs quote comes to mind:

"A human mind is too precious to be wasted"

I don't know if Steve Jobs said that -- I can't find a reference -- but, even if he did, chances are he got it from elsewhere, since that sentiment was embedded in the culture since the early 1970's, in the form of the slogan, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste", which was the tag line of a famous ad campaign [0]:

A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste — you know the phrase, you've heard it.

That's because the iconic slogan, dreamt up by the advertising agency Young & Rubicam goes back more than four decades. It was meant to promote the United Negro College Fund scholarship program for black students. The slogan practically part of the national consciousness, like Have a Coke and a smile.

[0] https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/06/14/191796469...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNCF#The_UNCF_motto