3 ms·

> sounds like the author doesn't understand the difference between IBM and a startup. Anyone who expected stock options from a company that is over 100 years ol

> sounds like the author doesn't understand the difference between IBM and a startup. Anyone who expected stock options from a company that is over 100 years old with hundreds of thousands of employees just doesn't understand with whom they were interviewing. You don't have to be a startup to offer RSUs. FAANG have just as many engineers as IBM, and offer them.

kamaal 8y ago
Often those are not like million dollar RSUs. Most of the big money goes to top management, and technical people who manage other technical people. The other technical people to get them are generally who are well connected up with the bosses and have some political leverage, to help them negotiate well. The ordinary people get little to get by. And often the vesting schedule is long, and taxes eat into bulk of it. This is true even in FAANG. In fact your best bet to get any meaningful RSU grant is to be something like employee number 300 as a Manager at Facebook. You also need to understand one thing. Promotions are hard to come by in FAANG companies, because generally every one is at least as awesome as you are. So you also stagnate quite a lot in those companies.
- dunpeal 8y ago
  I don't want to embark on the millionth discussion of FAANG compensation, but there are enough known facts about FAANG engineers making millions of dollars on their RSUs over 4-5 years, especially at the more senior levels. FAANGs are obviously not totally equitable, and you won't make a CEO's comp as an engineer, but you will make more than most other places. Also, I completely disagree with the notion that promotions are the cure against "stagnation". Stagnation has to do with the nature of your work, not your fancy title, height on the corporate hierarchy tree, or for that matter - your pay.

3 ms·

> sounds like the author doesn't understand the difference between IBM and a startup. Anyone who expected stock options from a company that is over 100 years ol

by dunpeal 8y ago

kamaal 8y ago
Often those are not like million dollar RSUs. Most of the big money goes to top management, and technical people who manage other technical people. The other technical people to get them are generally who are well connected up with the bosses and have some political leverage, to help them negotiate well. The ordinary people get little to get by. And often the vesting schedule is long, and taxes eat into bulk of it. This is true even in FAANG. In fact your best bet to get any meaningful RSU grant is to be something like employee number 300 as a Manager at Facebook. You also need to understand one thing. Promotions are hard to come by in FAANG companies, because generally every one is at least as awesome as you are. So you also stagnate quite a lot in those companies.
- dunpeal 8y ago
  I don't want to embark on the millionth discussion of FAANG compensation, but there are enough known facts about FAANG engineers making millions of dollars on their RSUs over 4-5 years, especially at the more senior levels. FAANGs are obviously not totally equitable, and you won't make a CEO's comp as an engineer, but you will make more than most other places. Also, I completely disagree with the notion that promotions are the cure against "stagnation". Stagnation has to do with the nature of your work, not your fancy title, height on the corporate hierarchy tree, or for that matter - your pay.