5 ms·

That's an awfully lot of words to write, just to say "I'm lying about my $500k offer". If they were actually paying that, they'd have no shortage of talent to b

That's an awfully lot of words to write, just to say "I'm lying about my $500k offer". If they were actually paying that, they'd have no shortage of talent to burn out with their standard consulting work. Tons of companies claim "we would pay [huge number]", or "there's no upper bound of income for the best talent". It's almost never true.

iaw 9y ago
Facebook and Google total comp for average programmers ~2 years in is >$400K right now. $600k isn't that hard to make at these companies.
- geebee 9y ago
  Can you post some kind of evidence for this? I know salaries are somewhat secretive, but do you have something to support this? The reason I'm skeptical is that while I do know people at google as relatively senior dev (very talented, elite CS degrees, 15+ years experience), they were well above 200k a year, but nowhere close to 600k. This was also more than 2 years ago. Again, I understand data isn't public, but do you have something to support the notion it isn't hard to make 600k as a dev?
  - iaw 9y ago
    This is in total compensation terms. There are two documents floating around where employees detailed their compensation coming into Google and Facebook. What everyone replying fails to realize is that if you include the appreciation of the preliminary and refresher grants these engineers are making >$400K rather quickly.
    - geebee 9y ago
      I appreciate your reply, but I do see this as just a more detailed claim without evidence, other than referring to documents floating around. I understand publicly available data is hard to come but, but this also just doesn't square with the few data points I have, for senior devs at google (albeit a couple years ago). I suppose some of this may turn on what you mean by "rather quickly" for compensation in excess of $400k a year (let alone $600k/yr, which seems very high). I can't say you're wrong, because I don't have evidence... but that's the problem here, I don't have any evidence to believe you either. You're claiming everyone is failing to realize something, but in the absence of credible and available data. Just give me something here. I can be convinced by evidence, but references to documents "floating around" just isn't enough for me, as it contradict my direct conversations with google employees, though my conversations are limited, slightly old, and personal information may be unreliable. $250k, sure, that squares with what I've heard.
      - iaw 9y ago
        I feel comfortable speaking anecdotally but I don't feel comfortable formally doing the math here for reasons that I prefer not to disclose. I appreciate your desire for more details on my claim but I cannot provide it. $250K is accurate assuming zero/normal stock appreciation. Assume half that is in equity compensation with a 38% (for FB) growth rate on a 4 year schedule and determine what the figures get to.
- bluesnowmonkey 9y ago
  Lies. I was there a year ago. People share compensation info. You're way, way off.
- gamechangr 9y ago
  I have a friend that's pretty solid programmer - been at google for 3 years. He claims he crossed $400k at the 2 year mark. That's at least 1 case that appears to support this.
- taude 9y ago
  I don't believe this at all. I have friends who work for Google from acquired companies and they're no where near this.
geebee 9y ago
If Mr Palmer is going to claim he'd pay 500k, I'd like to see some evidence that he is actually doing this for his top performing employees. He says he lost a few "perfect" candidates to Facebook and google. Did he offer them $500k a year? Keep in mind, Mr Palmer chose to make this claim very publicly, and he's gotten plenty of attention at this point for doing so. So I'd love to see a good journalist follow up with some real numbers here. If he's telling the truth, well then, good for him! I tend to be skeptical about people who claim there is a shortage, since they almost never talk about what they're offering. Mr Palmer is. So far, so good. But he should be willing to offer some real evidence of this claim. Let's see the numbers.
- venture_lol 9y ago
  He is good at "promotion" and "marketing". He will now get plenty of talent eyeballs for free rather than having to pay for ads with dubious return :)

iaw 9y ago

Facebook and Google total comp for average programmers ~2 years in is >$400K right now. $600k isn't that hard to make at these companies.

geebee 9y ago
Can you post some kind of evidence for this? I know salaries are somewhat secretive, but do you have something to support this? The reason I'm skeptical is that while I do know people at google as relatively senior dev (very talented, elite CS degrees, 15+ years experience), they were well above 200k a year, but nowhere close to 600k. This was also more than 2 years ago. Again, I understand data isn't public, but do you have something to support the notion it isn't hard to make 600k as a dev?
- iaw 9y ago
  This is in total compensation terms. There are two documents floating around where employees detailed their compensation coming into Google and Facebook. What everyone replying fails to realize is that if you include the appreciation of the preliminary and refresher grants these engineers are making >$400K rather quickly.
  - geebee 9y ago
    I appreciate your reply, but I do see this as just a more detailed claim without evidence, other than referring to documents floating around. I understand publicly available data is hard to come but, but this also just doesn't square with the few data points I have, for senior devs at google (albeit a couple years ago). I suppose some of this may turn on what you mean by "rather quickly" for compensation in excess of $400k a year (let alone $600k/yr, which seems very high). I can't say you're wrong, because I don't have evidence... but that's the problem here, I don't have any evidence to believe you either. You're claiming everyone is failing to realize something, but in the absence of credible and available data. Just give me something here. I can be convinced by evidence, but references to documents "floating around" just isn't enough for me, as it contradict my direct conversations with google employees, though my conversations are limited, slightly old, and personal information may be unreliable. $250k, sure, that squares with what I've heard.
    - iaw 9y ago
      I feel comfortable speaking anecdotally but I don't feel comfortable formally doing the math here for reasons that I prefer not to disclose. I appreciate your desire for more details on my claim but I cannot provide it. $250K is accurate assuming zero/normal stock appreciation. Assume half that is in equity compensation with a 38% (for FB) growth rate on a 4 year schedule and determine what the figures get to.
bluesnowmonkey 9y ago
Lies. I was there a year ago. People share compensation info. You're way, way off.
gamechangr 9y ago
I have a friend that's pretty solid programmer - been at google for 3 years. He claims he crossed $400k at the 2 year mark. That's at least 1 case that appears to support this.
taude 9y ago
I don't believe this at all. I have friends who work for Google from acquired companies and they're no where near this.

geebee 9y ago

If Mr Palmer is going to claim he'd pay 500k, I'd like to see some evidence that he is actually doing this for his top performing employees. He says he lost a few "perfect" candidates to Facebook and google. Did he offer them $500k a year? Keep in mind, Mr Palmer chose to make this claim very publicly, and he's gotten plenty of attention at this point for doing so. So I'd love to see a good journalist follow up with some real numbers here. If he's telling the truth, well then, good for him! I tend to be skeptical about people who claim there is a shortage, since they almost never talk about what they're offering. Mr Palmer is. So far, so good. But he should be willing to offer some real evidence of this claim. Let's see the numbers.

venture_lol 9y ago
He is good at "promotion" and "marketing". He will now get plenty of talent eyeballs for free rather than having to pay for ads with dubious return :)