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Consider that it might be the reverse. Why are we paid so low? How come companies extract so much profit from UK developers? Can businesses get away with being

Consider that it might be the reverse. Why are we paid so low? How come companies extract so much profit from UK developers? Can businesses get away with being much less efficient with dev resources around the world vs. USA?

adventured 9y ago
Successful US technology businesses tend to detach from the rest of the world, they stop becoming very good comparison points (eg vs a local or semi-local technology business in a given smaller market). They first have the US to massively scale into, which can be enough by itself to generate a vast business, then they tend to rapidly push global. If you look at that list: Facebook (global), Google (global), Dropbox (global), Airbnb (global), Palantir (US military money). And then Lyft, which is going to push global. And among some of the other giants: Microsoft (global), Amazon (global), Apple (global), Netflix (global), Oracle (global). Many of the prominent start-ups in the US are then backed by the proceeds from all of that (further enabling lucrative start-up pay), and it keeps cycling upwards. The point being, they scale and extract at a hyper global scale. That enables extremely unusual compensation.
Nursie 9y ago
Honestly, I think most development work in the UK is crap,and most of the small and medium-sized companies out there are producing bad software, slowly. They can't afford to pay more. They offer bad salaries, they get people with low productivity and low reward expectations. The people running the company have low expectations of their engineers and the whole sorry mess just stumbles along barely holding its head above water. (I have been contracting in the south-east these last 5 years, I've seen quite a few of these places)
- lozenge 9y ago
  I know many developers who have come to London for better jobs, but not many who are leaving the UK altogether. Are you including London on your assessment?
  - Nursie 9y ago
    A lot less so than the rest of the country. And there are pockets of competence elsewhere I'm sure. I don't know many people who have left the country for dev opportunities elsewhere either, and most I know eventually leave London for quality of life reasons. It's just my comment on the UK industry as I have experienced it in the south east and south of the country.
    - richardknop 9y ago
      I think it's the same everywhere in Europe. Unless you are in a big metropolis with lots of financial power behind it, IT will be treated as a cost centre, salaries and quality will be sub par. The same in Germany, if you are not in Berlin/Munich, most jobs in IT will be really bad. Not sure about US but I'd assume best jobs are in SF/NY/Seattle and other places will have "shitty" jobs compared to that.

adventured 9y ago

Successful US technology businesses tend to detach from the rest of the world, they stop becoming very good comparison points (eg vs a local or semi-local technology business in a given smaller market). They first have the US to massively scale into, which can be enough by itself to generate a vast business, then they tend to rapidly push global. If you look at that list: Facebook (global), Google (global), Dropbox (global), Airbnb (global), Palantir (US military money). And then Lyft, which is going to push global. And among some of the other giants: Microsoft (global), Amazon (global), Apple (global), Netflix (global), Oracle (global). Many of the prominent start-ups in the US are then backed by the proceeds from all of that (further enabling lucrative start-up pay), and it keeps cycling upwards. The point being, they scale and extract at a hyper global scale. That enables extremely unusual compensation.

Nursie 9y ago

Honestly, I think most development work in the UK is crap,and most of the small and medium-sized companies out there are producing bad software, slowly. They can't afford to pay more. They offer bad salaries, they get people with low productivity and low reward expectations. The people running the company have low expectations of their engineers and the whole sorry mess just stumbles along barely holding its head above water. (I have been contracting in the south-east these last 5 years, I've seen quite a few of these places)

lozenge 9y ago
I know many developers who have come to London for better jobs, but not many who are leaving the UK altogether. Are you including London on your assessment?
- Nursie 9y ago
  A lot less so than the rest of the country. And there are pockets of competence elsewhere I'm sure. I don't know many people who have left the country for dev opportunities elsewhere either, and most I know eventually leave London for quality of life reasons. It's just my comment on the UK industry as I have experienced it in the south east and south of the country.
  - richardknop 9y ago
    I think it's the same everywhere in Europe. Unless you are in a big metropolis with lots of financial power behind it, IT will be treated as a cost centre, salaries and quality will be sub par. The same in Germany, if you are not in Berlin/Munich, most jobs in IT will be really bad. Not sure about US but I'd assume best jobs are in SF/NY/Seattle and other places will have "shitty" jobs compared to that.