5 ms·

Quit, join a small company. I did five long years at a multinational megacorp without realizing that life could be better. It was like prison for programmers.

Quit, join a small company. I did five long years at a multinational megacorp without realizing that life could be better. It was like prison for programmers. When I finally quit to be employee #5 at a bootstrapped startup it was a revelation. After I had been at the startup for a month it still didn't feel real - it felt like I was on vacation from my previous job. It took a long time for it to sink in that I didn't have to go back. Ever! It's possible to enjoy work! Don't make my mistake and waste years in an environment you hate - I should have left after 3 months instead of 5 years. I will never work for a large corporation again.

ben_jones 10y ago
Except these things could be preventing such a transition: * Moving expenses to $EXPENSIVE_TECH_CITY * Student loan debt * Credit card debt * Car loan + auto insurance * Severe pay cut * No experience building CRUD apps Or MSCCSN for short.
- ktRolster 10y ago
  Indeed, better to find another job before quitting. Less pressure.
- tajen 10y ago
  * A family to support. It's a hard decision to fall in love before you've found what kind of job you liked.
- GoToRO 10y ago
  "Severe pay cut" That is my experience too. About 50% off when you start and if you are really good and they like you and... 10% off.
- foreigner 10y ago
  That was not my experience at all. I didn't take a pay cut moving to a small company. My salary stayed about the same, I had similar benefits, and I got a little equity which a few years later was worth a nice bonus. Staying at a large company all you're going to get is the standard 3 to 5 percent cost of living increase every year. Generally I do not think it's true that large companies pay better than small ones - if anything the opposite. Re: moving to an expensive tech city, perhaps that might be an issue, but there are smaller companies in lots of places, not just Silicon Valley.
  - akavi 10y ago
    > Generally I do not think it's true that large companies pay better than small ones - if anything the opposite. Anecdotal data point: I recently made the switch from startup to Megacorp, and my base salary remained the same, but my equity compensation went from being made of unicorn farts and fairy dust to something a little more real. Meaning if I stay the year, my total comp'll jump roughly 50%. And my base salary at the startup was pretty good compared to some of my friends working at smaller places.

ben_jones 10y ago

Except these things could be preventing such a transition: * Moving expenses to $EXPENSIVE_TECH_CITY * Student loan debt * Credit card debt * Car loan + auto insurance * Severe pay cut * No experience building CRUD apps Or MSCCSN for short.

ktRolster 10y ago
Indeed, better to find another job before quitting. Less pressure.
tajen 10y ago
* A family to support. It's a hard decision to fall in love before you've found what kind of job you liked.
GoToRO 10y ago
"Severe pay cut" That is my experience too. About 50% off when you start and if you are really good and they like you and... 10% off.
foreigner 10y ago
That was not my experience at all. I didn't take a pay cut moving to a small company. My salary stayed about the same, I had similar benefits, and I got a little equity which a few years later was worth a nice bonus. Staying at a large company all you're going to get is the standard 3 to 5 percent cost of living increase every year. Generally I do not think it's true that large companies pay better than small ones - if anything the opposite. Re: moving to an expensive tech city, perhaps that might be an issue, but there are smaller companies in lots of places, not just Silicon Valley.
- akavi 10y ago
  > Generally I do not think it's true that large companies pay better than small ones - if anything the opposite. Anecdotal data point: I recently made the switch from startup to Megacorp, and my base salary remained the same, but my equity compensation went from being made of unicorn farts and fairy dust to something a little more real. Meaning if I stay the year, my total comp'll jump roughly 50%. And my base salary at the startup was pretty good compared to some of my friends working at smaller places.