Ask HN: What did you pursue next after working at one of the FAANGs?
44 comments
Currently at my “peak” at Google (senior staff), after having worked at a healthy mix of startups/mid-cap/large-cap before, so I like to think I’ve seen a bit of everything and I’m starting to age in my mid 30s, I’m consistently the oldest around the office.
My next move will either be “retiring” and trying to start a solo business in super low-pressure mode (thanks to good savings), or find a right partner and be a cofounder at a typical venture backed startup in the Bay and shoot for the stars. Likely nothing in between.
So far I’m not too motivated about the second even if more than one person told me that I have the right attitude, practicality and perseverance to get stuff done (I don’t totally believe them, I know how hard it is to start one as I was in the front seat as early employee a few times). I am more looking forward to the first, somehow I am enticed about the idea of spending my days not talking to a single soul, except customers via email (can you tell I spend 70% of my time in meetings?!).
I am waiting for a unicorn I have a good chunk of equity in to go public (or bust) before taking a decision about what’s next. At that point, my FAANG compensation will either become an irrelevant drop in the bucket, or a necessity not worth risking for several more years.
My next move will either be “retiring” and trying to start a solo business in super low-pressure mode (thanks to good savings), or find a right partner and be a cofounder at a typical venture backed startup in the Bay and shoot for the stars. Likely nothing in between.
So far I’m not too motivated about the second even if more than one person told me that I have the right attitude, practicality and perseverance to get stuff done (I don’t totally believe them, I know how hard it is to start one as I was in the front seat as early employee a few times). I am more looking forward to the first, somehow I am enticed about the idea of spending my days not talking to a single soul, except customers via email (can you tell I spend 70% of my time in meetings?!).
I am waiting for a unicorn I have a good chunk of equity in to go public (or bust) before taking a decision about what’s next. At that point, my FAANG compensation will either become an irrelevant drop in the bucket, or a necessity not worth risking for several more years.
> I’m starting to age in my mid 30s, I’m consistently the oldest around.
oof. Tales from a fraternity
oof. Tales from a fraternity
Where does it stop? At least in India it is first getting into IIT , then it’s getting into a FAANG, move to the Bay Area, buy a 4000 sq ft house , then it’s about this prestige and that prestige. Expect the same in China , US and some other places.
Just go live your own life , solve interesting problems and be happy . You wanna get young teens to engage more with your app as a sign of your success in life ?
what's your story if you're ex-FAANG?
Whatever I want? Getting hired by and working for a MAAMA BigCorp is not exactly the pinnacle of human achievement.
It is certainly an eye opener, though. Go live your best, most fulfilling life, whatever that looks like for you!
It is certainly an eye opener, though. Go live your best, most fulfilling life, whatever that looks like for you!
I worked on the self driving car project at Google up until a bit before it renamed to Waymo. I worked on all the various drive-by-wire systems on that low speed vehicle we built. When that project wrapped up, we were starting to figure out the Pacifica minivan integration. A former co-worker from SpaceX invited me to grab a beer, and told me about Zipline. I came by for a tour, and they surprised me with a full day of interviews. I was a good sport about it, and they were clearly desperate for someone with my skill-set. I've been at Zipline for over 6 years now. It's been a great, supportive place to work with relatively low drama. The company had about 30 people when I joined, and now it's grown to many hundreds and I'm one of the most senior employees. Coinciding with Zipline, I got married, and my wife and I made a beautiful daughter, and we're expecting our second daughter in a few months.
The firehose of Google money was nice, but it isn't what made me the most wealth over the years. I've had good success with stock options in startups, having joined SpaceX in 2010, and Zipline in 2016. Zipline is still quite risky, but I am optimistic that we'll pan out long term!
The firehose of Google money was nice, but it isn't what made me the most wealth over the years. I've had good success with stock options in startups, having joined SpaceX in 2010, and Zipline in 2016. Zipline is still quite risky, but I am optimistic that we'll pan out long term!
I was at Amazon for 10.5 years working as an engineer and then moving into leadership roles.
I didn’t exit for a new opportunity so much as my sanity.
My personal relationships, mental and physical health, all took a heavy hit.
I stuck around for the money. I held my initial stock vests until 2019, skipping the whole “eggs in one basket” advice. I then sold half my equity, and then I sold my 2020 and 2021 grants at almost close to the top.
I don’t have to work for a while, and my spouse earns enough for me to stay at home until I’m bored, without selling any investments. Financially we’re completely secured now.
I almost lost my spouse. I practically had no friends or life by the time I left. I’d worked so hard and so long but lost focus on myself, my family, and any notion of enjoying life.
I wish I started a family sooner. I wish I kept in close touch with siblings. I wish I’d been closer with my parents, especially when my dad was still alive.
The biggest opportunity that I missed again and again is realizing no piece of shit company, no matter how much they pay you, or whatever title they give you, is worth throwing away your life for. Amazon was a hell hole. It still is a hell hole, but it’s not my problem anymore.
I didn’t exit for a new opportunity so much as my sanity.
My personal relationships, mental and physical health, all took a heavy hit.
I stuck around for the money. I held my initial stock vests until 2019, skipping the whole “eggs in one basket” advice. I then sold half my equity, and then I sold my 2020 and 2021 grants at almost close to the top.
I don’t have to work for a while, and my spouse earns enough for me to stay at home until I’m bored, without selling any investments. Financially we’re completely secured now.
I almost lost my spouse. I practically had no friends or life by the time I left. I’d worked so hard and so long but lost focus on myself, my family, and any notion of enjoying life.
I wish I started a family sooner. I wish I kept in close touch with siblings. I wish I’d been closer with my parents, especially when my dad was still alive.
The biggest opportunity that I missed again and again is realizing no piece of shit company, no matter how much they pay you, or whatever title they give you, is worth throwing away your life for. Amazon was a hell hole. It still is a hell hole, but it’s not my problem anymore.
While I sympathize this is still a lot better than working your life away for some random no-name company and get paid peanuts and not even have the option to move out of that.
I'm mostly talking EU here because making peanuts barely applies for any US job but in the end I'm a Sr Dev and still barely have time to have friends/spouse while struggling to have any savings and living in HCOL.
I'd say count your blessings, it can always be worse.
I'm mostly talking EU here because making peanuts barely applies for any US job but in the end I'm a Sr Dev and still barely have time to have friends/spouse while struggling to have any savings and living in HCOL.
I'd say count your blessings, it can always be worse.
> I don’t have to work for a while
Surely you would have no need to do anything for money ever anymore? That sounds like an amazing freedom to have. Although, used incorrectly, it could make one feel rather useless too I suppose.
Surely you would have no need to do anything for money ever anymore? That sounds like an amazing freedom to have. Although, used incorrectly, it could make one feel rather useless too I suppose.
I worked at 2 of them in my career and left the stifling, closed environment to go back to my first love: teaching folks how to enjoy coding more.
I now teach people the way I think is best, and pick and choose who I work with. It's been over five years since I left, and it's the best thing I ever did.
I now teach people the way I think is best, and pick and choose who I work with. It's been over five years since I left, and it's the best thing I ever did.
> teaching folks how to enjoy coding more.
That sounds oddly specific. So you take in people who are already coding and enjoying it, but want to be taught how to enjoy it more?
That sounds oddly specific. So you take in people who are already coding and enjoying it, but want to be taught how to enjoy it more?
After being in Big places, sometimes it is very difficult to go to other "great" working places that have different cultures, conditions and unwritten rules.
Went to a game studio
Pay is lower but the work is much more interesting/satisfying
Pay is lower but the work is much more interesting/satisfying
I also did the same - no regrets, even with the pay cut. For me the best part is the people - being elbow to elbow with game designers and concept artists and 3d modelers and narrative folks and FX artists and composers and audio folks, etc - it is just so much more interesting than hanging around with a bunch of boring ass tech bros.
Yeah that's definitely true, way more multidisciplinary
One of the coolest things is working on tools used by artists and seeing the result of what they make with it
One of the coolest things is working on tools used by artists and seeing the result of what they make with it
how did your skills translate to gaming industry? I'm guessing something to do with distributed systems / know-how of running systems for millions of users?
While I would enjoy more technically challenging/interesting work the game industry has an incredibly low reputation for how they treat their best and brightest. Not really interested in going through that grinder.
Have you experienced this?
Have you experienced this?
I haven't but I purposefully went to a studio that is known for good WLB
Which one is that if you don’t mind sharing?
A lot of people on my team are from other big tech companies so I think a pretty large % is just bouncing around getting a reset on RSUs, a promotion, or just a fresh start on a new project.
I wonder how many move to lesser paying roles, e.g. game dev, seed stage startups, utilities, etc.
Haskelling
where at? I'm something of an FPer myself
I'd prefer not to de-anonymize my HM account lol. But they were all jobs I got due to recruiter LinkedIn outreach - I SEO'd my profile for Haskell and FP a bit so I'd say I get a handful of Haskell, Scala, etc DMs a year.
The jobs were all over the place. BigCo, startup, crypto, fintech, adtech.
The jobs were all over the place. BigCo, startup, crypto, fintech, adtech.
You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.
;-p
I moved to management in another industry.
Can you elaborate on this?
I’m getting tired of tech after 25+ years and toyed with the idea of changing industries. But it seems like I’m starting over again and as such I keep gravitating back to tech work
I’m getting tired of tech after 25+ years and toyed with the idea of changing industries. But it seems like I’m starting over again and as such I keep gravitating back to tech work
Granted I'm still in tech, but I moved into a tech adjacent role in the healthcare industry.
It's great! pay is equal or more than what I what I would have earned I think. Plus I like to think I'm doing something that actually improves quality of life of people.
It's great! pay is equal or more than what I what I would have earned I think. Plus I like to think I'm doing something that actually improves quality of life of people.
Brilliant! Thanks for the idea and motivation!
Drugs
so, retired? :D
Retirement is the last stop before the grave. Go take a vacation for two months and you'll be bored out of your mind. It's the same thing everyday, structureless.
Motion is life.
Motion is life.
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If you’re bored by yourself you’re in bad company.
This is not the message I'm trying to convey. I'm advocating going and finding something you're passionate about and believe in, and following your heart. Build a life around it. Participate in society and make your life mean something more than just existing in your castle.
I agree with that. “Retirement is boring” is often used to justify mindlessly staying in a job because you don’t know what to do with your life.
Actively pursuing what you want post-employment? Go for it!
Actively pursuing what you want post-employment? Go for it!
Yeah, I’m only really interesting when I drink.
> It's the same thing everyday
That's what I think about work.
That's what I think about work.
You have the power to change your situation and find something else you enjoy more. You're not a victim.
I think I would enjoy retirement more. I like programming and technology when it's not for work.
Problem is I need need to work to retire. And I'm pretty sure I don't have the business skills or drive to start my own thing. So here I am. I don't feel like a victim. It's just reality and I accept it.
Problem is I need need to work to retire. And I'm pretty sure I don't have the business skills or drive to start my own thing. So here I am. I don't feel like a victim. It's just reality and I accept it.
I suggest taking extended leave for a few months and then see how you feel. You might learn something interesting about yourself, or maybe your perspective will change.
Don't be a sucker and exchange your life for miserably earned money. Find something that works for you.
Don't be a sucker and exchange your life for miserably earned money. Find something that works for you.
I took those extended leaves. What I learned is that I'm a dabbler and don't have energy/willpower to sustain interest in one thing for longer periods of time. At least not enough to reasonbly hope to convert it into an income at some point in the future.
Ok, I can do that when retired too. Even more so because I don’t lose majority of my daytime hours.
I've gone on vacation for 3-6 months between jobs on several occasions. Found plenty of ways to fill the days.
Would love to hear your story. Did you retire to Costa Rica? Did you go for another FAANG job? Did you do something totally random and crazy?