> They really do want computer scientists. The ability to figure out what to build isn’t valued all that highly, because that’s not fundamentally the responsibi

> They really do want computer scientists. The ability to figure out what to build isn’t valued all that highly, because that’s not fundamentally the responsibility of the software engineer As a former Googler myself, I 100% endorse this analysis. Engineers at Google are well respected and have a fair amount of freedom along some axes, but UX/product decisions are not one of them. There are many engineers who enjoy working within those constraints. Ultimately, I decided that I wasn't one of them (which is why I'm no longer at Google). Also, this at the end of Max's answer: > I am often a dick, I am often difficult ...really wouldn't work well on most teams at Google. Google's culture has an allergic reaction to jerks, even brilliant jerks. On the whole I think this is a good thing, even if it selects against some highly capable people.