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TLDR; Stay where you are. Long Answer: I'd guess that you're looking for more factors to be able to evaluate the decision. Let me go one by one then add some o
by jppope 7y ago
TLDR; Stay where you are.
Long Answer: I'd guess that you're looking for more factors to be able to evaluate the decision. Let me go one by one then add some other thoughts.
1) the cost of living is absurd but you adjust. You may even enjoy HCOL areas - I found that I generally prefer them since I don't really like big houses or having to drive everywhere. Plus the people that live in HCOL areas are usually more dynamic... they kind of have to be.
2) losing the ability to see your family would be a tragedy. I can promise you California isn't worth not getting to see your family.
3) Making friends is just something you figure out. Typically it takes 6-9 months, but only 3-5 months to start feeling lonely. If you battle with depression you might want to be careful.
4) Music should be a big factor. Art and culture matter a lot for where you should live, and you would be leaving a lot behind from what I know about Montreal. Some parts of California have great culture but other parts are terrible. Depending on where you live in the Bay area it could very well be terrible (SF is great though).
IMO... I think you are undervaluing ownership of your own company as well... if your company is stable you pose a better chance to grow it and hit every metric of success instead of just a few. BUT on the other side of the coin FB supposedly pays quite well, and your next job after FB (supposedly employee churn is 4 years or less on average) will also pay well because of the name value on your CV. Grabbing some $$$ quick shouldn't be undervalued.
Lastly, I would also add that Facebook's future is very much in limbo. I have a hard time imagining a scenario where they won't face some sort of regulation in the future AND the value to advertisers has been quickly diminishing. Said another way, in the not too distant future they'll have to start acting like a normal company and worrying where their money is coming from.
- bmelca 7y agoWow, I thought that the professional growth potential from a career standpoint should be the biggest factor to consider, but your answer has left me wondering whether that's really a thing..
- jppope 7y agoThat is very much a thing to consider... it just kind of becomes a cost-benefit analysis thing. FB has some problems that very few companies in the world have... but they've solved most of those problems at this point and given the size of the company and engineering talent it's hard to imagine assignment of some of those problems being given to someone with little time spent at the company. I.E. you'd probably have to wait till you're pretty deep in at FB to be doing the work that you would want to be doing. How many cool problems could you dig up and solve in that amount of time though? You run the show in your current situation... there's no reason you can't grow the scope of your business to incorporate the professional growth you are looking for. My $0.02 at least