Matt, not sure you read HN, but I know friends of yours and you know friends of mine. Anyways; we walked in the same circles, and both decided to leave CS academia.
I wish you would honestly answer this; did you leave cause academia was bullshit? That's why I left. I regularly talk to grad students all torn up about leaving academia, and I keep telling them that "industry" is just as worthwhile an endeavor as research. I feel like reading about your path you've come to the same conclusion.
You can down vote all you like, but there in lies the truth. Just check with all your academic friends 10+ years older - they'll talk of the lure of Microsoft..
High achieving computer science folks choose google because it feeds into their existing dogma - "I am smart. I did well at High School - I get into Ivy League - I do well at Ivy League".. Errr now what? I know, let's go where everyone thinks the high achievers go!
Google managed to very effectively be an acceptable reason to quit academia or not pursue a PhD. Good on them, working in the Plex is better than going through the bullshit that Matt dealt with. Doesn't change the fact that if you work at Google you're getting paid at a discount, and probably are a lot more unhappy than that retard who can't figure out how his Google plus account works.
I wish you would honestly answer this; did you leave cause academia was bullshit? That's why I left. I regularly talk to grad students all torn up about leaving academia, and I keep telling them that "industry" is just as worthwhile an endeavor as research. I feel like reading about your path you've come to the same conclusion.