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I've worked for big companies early in my career (good place for a junior engineer to get some experience), then mostly smaller companies (where I could just wa

by jcadam 9y ago

I've worked for big companies early in my career (good place for a junior engineer to get some experience), then mostly smaller companies (where I could just walk into the CEO's office and strike up a conversation if I felt so inclined), where I got used to being multi-hatted and pitching in wherever. Right now, I'm sitting in a cube at a huge corporation. This job was a step up in pay, but in every other way feels like a big step down. I'm pigeon-holed as a senior engineer on one very specific part of an unnecessarily complex software system (Java, of course). I'm bored out of my mind and literally going stir-crazy - I get up and pace around the cube farm often. I leave the building and go for walks during the day as well. I also spend more time on HN than I should :) I will never take a job with a megacorp again, ever. I want to work for a small company where I have some autonomy and the ability to have an impact on the business.

mirceal 9y ago
yes. you're bored. yes. it sucks. But why is this megacorp less efficient than a small company?
- jcadam 9y ago
  The boredom is a symptom of the inefficiency of the large corporation. Actually, I'm not sure I could say it's less efficient. It's just optimized differently. The company is deliberately set up to treat engineers as interchangeable cogs to minimize risk. Following the process is more important than getting stuff done (and boy, do big companies love process). Also, you are "protected" in a sense from gaining too much domain knowledge or having direct communication with users/customers, and you are shuffled around every so often (Matrix management, yay). Small companies can't afford to do that. They can't hire a legion of average performers and hope to make up for it with byzantine processes and tightly defined roles and responsibilities.
- aylmao 9y ago
  I mean, that'd be why. It sounds like she/he is not invested in work, so does less of it.

by jcadam 9y ago

mirceal 9y ago

yes. you're bored. yes. it sucks. But why is this megacorp less efficient than a small company?

jcadam 9y ago
The boredom is a symptom of the inefficiency of the large corporation. Actually, I'm not sure I could say it's less efficient. It's just optimized differently. The company is deliberately set up to treat engineers as interchangeable cogs to minimize risk. Following the process is more important than getting stuff done (and boy, do big companies love process). Also, you are "protected" in a sense from gaining too much domain knowledge or having direct communication with users/customers, and you are shuffled around every so often (Matrix management, yay). Small companies can't afford to do that. They can't hire a legion of average performers and hope to make up for it with byzantine processes and tightly defined roles and responsibilities.
aylmao 9y ago
I mean, that'd be why. It sounds like she/he is not invested in work, so does less of it.