Ehh we here in US got better things to do with taxes like spending it to build another fighter jet so we can send it to the Middle East in the name of Freedom . I am told you guys in Western Europe enjoy your stability because of the “freedom” we bring for all of you at the cost of our own healthcare , worker protections and social safety net. Look we are martyrs.
*my brother in law lives in Germany making less than half of what I make and I still envy his lifestyle . He and his wife are going on a 20 day trip to Greece and I am on-call over the holidays . But I make more than double and have my “freedom” and supposed choice of where my tax dollars go.
Durham is more exciting than Raleigh . That said I have found the Raleigh-Durham area a nice antidote to be in tech and not be in a hyper competitive, hustling , aggressive environment. There are a bunch of tech, pharma companies and universities which make the culture more research oriented and a little bit of what tier 1 tech cities were pre 2010. Personally I moved from the west coast after burning out and I have found the slower pace nicer but also enough tech opportunities to just continue as a programmer and not want to suddenly become a yogi or venture capitalist or reinvent myself as a farmer .
Heated conversations and debates to drive innovation was fine in the Oppenheimer and AT&T Bell days . Today it takes one wrong word to get called up by HR or a recording that can sabotage your entire career. I don’t think the tech industry or the country’s work culture suffers heretics anymore. I am fine with the lack of passion and lack of innovation on Zoom if it helps my anxiety and ADHD better and allows me to work without offending anyone . I just want to keep a steady income .
I will not call it snobbery but a difference in generational culture. I am assuming you are below the age of 45 and came into the industry where jobs were aplenty , super low interest rates and the industry was rapidly innovating and risk taking is encouraged . For a lot of folks from the Office Space days of 80s and 90s that wasn’t necessarily the case . Tech jobs were limited and you probably had to post or submit a paper version of your resume.
I would encourage you to take a look at JavaScript code from 2003 or a Java codebase from then and see how dreary and different the tech industry was back then . As for transferable skills there is a reason IT workers were stereotyped as autistic nerds before the brash,well rounded, rock climbing risk takers came in. Culture, risk, opportunities and interest rates had to do a lot .
Edit- I was probably like Arthur Westbrook when I was working on a visa and had a family to support . As soon as I got my greencard my appetite for risk taking increased and showing my transferable skills increased . Situational context .
OP- here , I am very grateful for your and everyone’s replies. Lots of things I can read and try to make it better. I hope this helps anyone else in a similar situation. Thank you.
Money corrupts all. A big part of counterculture in the past was the luxury to go against the grain and do things without having to worry about your next meal or paying off your debts and healthcare. Unfortunately today we live in a much more complex society where a lot more people are in debt and less secure. As a result it’s become way more difficult to be counterculture today. The ones who are probably considered crazy right wingers or so on.
Last time I read a very reassuring and cogent letter by the CEO of Shopify about the layoffs . But at no point did the letter hint at further layoffs no less 20% which is huge. Wondering what the explanation is this time. I understand everyone has their worth and price but I fail to see how management and leadership at companies still have jobs and huge bonuses.
Reaganomics has had 35 years. Maybe we need a new vision for our society.
The majority of international students coming to the US are wealthy or from upper middle class families . Do you really want to shut out deserving people who cannot afford to study in the US . Or make the US similar to Vancouver, BC where all the wealthy elite moved and bought up all the businesses and real estate after working for a few years ?
Sundar is a McKinsey consultant who is very pleasant and agreeable and can keep a boat steady while maximizing shareholder return. Unfortunately there isn’t much innovation happening .
Google needs a Larry Page or Musk like character back at the helm.
So you are indirectly saying that they will form a union. Human greed will say that the developer in Seattle(or others) will not agree to it and look for a better deal for himself/herself.
When you have to layoff people or have hard conversations or navigate politics qualities that are required are - being good looking , being popular and liked , being pleasant in conversations and demeanor. Management consultants usually come from wealthy or upper middle class families , go to elite schools and are usually good looking and have a very pleasant demeanor. So that’s why they are hired to do what leadership in a big organization cannot for fear of revolt or bad blood.
Interestingly no comments from anyone in India considering that is the largest tech market outside the US and where majority of jobs are moving to and India seems to be one of the few countries growing and projected to do well in this economic slump environment. I guess all their developers are busy working so no time for HN.
Sundar has Mckinsified and MBAfied Google.He faces intense spotlight because his background is McKinsey and Product Management . In core engineering and tech circles that’s the ultimate enemy and sell out. IMO Sundar hasn’t demonstrated the type of tech leadership like Satya or Zuck has. I am no fan of Zuck but he has a product he wants to pursue ( Metaverse) and is sticking to his guns to make it happen . Sundar just comes across as a pleasant McKinsey consultant who has seen ads and search as a cash cow and is focused on extracting as much cash from it to appeal to shareholders and others . There is no underlying tech vision or guts.