4 ms·

I have empathy for the engineers there. Here's hoping they get the resources and support they need. After vents like this juniors turn into seniors, seniors in

I have empathy for the engineers there. Here's hoping they get the resources and support they need. After vents like this juniors turn into seniors, seniors into VPs, and VPs going on sabbatical.

nathanaldensr 7y ago
The leap from senior developer to vice president is a lot further than you're implying... a lot further.
- capableweb 7y ago
  In startup land, a junior developer is another startups senior developer, and same applies to senior developer <> VP. Simply down to what the startup you're working at. Might not be that far.
- georgyo 7y ago
  In most financial companies, the next step up from senior developer is VP.
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    What sort of VP, IT/Development?
    - gberger 7y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_president#Use_in_financial_services_companies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_president#Use_in_financia...
    - blntechie 7y ago
      VP is just a fancy title for Manager in financial institutions so people feel better.
    - dhosek 7y ago
      It's just a weird financial thing. Everyone gets to be a VP. I was actually a bit embarrassed by having the title when I worked at BofA. It's not even a manager level. I was what would be a senior developer anywhere else.
  - oldgradstudent 7y ago
    VP often means you've been in the company for 2-3 years without screwing up too much. I was an intern in a team where everyone who's been in the company for more than a year was a VP.
- JoeAltmaier 7y ago
  The simple way to get a job like that, is to apply for it. Instead of waiting for someone to retire in your current company for instance. And its not unheard of. My sister-in-law worked from startup contributor to Cisco VP by applying for the next job up, one at a time, from company to company.
- silverdemon 7y ago
  In the big-name Wall Street banks 1/3 of employees are VP or higher. Senior Developer in the "outside world" typically means Associate in the banks, and VP is the next rung up from Associate, so VP really is just one hop from Senior Developer. Just how they do things there.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
mbesto 7y ago
> I have empathy for the engineers there. Honestly, I don't. There is enough public information about the brash attitudes of this company's execs that anyone working for a company like this should know that the lowest level engineers working on a technical problem like this are eventually just going to get thrown under the bus. I hope this is a lesson learned for smart and impressionable engineers about where to work.
- vorpalhex 7y ago
  I think you've confused being entirely risk adverse with human empathy.
  - mbesto 7y ago
    The implication from the parent comment is that these individuals are going to go through some emotional strain. My point - it's difficult for me to feel the same anxiety someone might feel in this situation when they equally ignored the risks of something that is easily identifiable. They very likely felt elated when they joined because the company was seen as cool, hip, and by all objective means is/was successful (valuation, # of users, etc).

I have empathy for the engineers there. Here's hoping they get the resources and support they need. After vents like this juniors turn into seniors, seniors into VPs, and VPs going on sabbatical.

nathanaldensr 7y ago

The leap from senior developer to vice president is a lot further than you're implying... a lot further.

capableweb 7y ago
In startup land, a junior developer is another startups senior developer, and same applies to senior developer <> VP. Simply down to what the startup you're working at. Might not be that far.
georgyo 7y ago
In most financial companies, the next step up from senior developer is VP.
- ineedasername 7y ago
  What sort of VP, IT/Development?
  - gberger 7y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_president#Use_in_financial_services_companies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_president#Use_in_financia...
  - blntechie 7y ago
    VP is just a fancy title for Manager in financial institutions so people feel better.
  - dhosek 7y ago
    It's just a weird financial thing. Everyone gets to be a VP. I was actually a bit embarrassed by having the title when I worked at BofA. It's not even a manager level. I was what would be a senior developer anywhere else.
- oldgradstudent 7y ago
  VP often means you've been in the company for 2-3 years without screwing up too much. I was an intern in a team where everyone who's been in the company for more than a year was a VP.
JoeAltmaier 7y ago
The simple way to get a job like that, is to apply for it. Instead of waiting for someone to retire in your current company for instance. And its not unheard of. My sister-in-law worked from startup contributor to Cisco VP by applying for the next job up, one at a time, from company to company.
silverdemon 7y ago
In the big-name Wall Street banks 1/3 of employees are VP or higher. Senior Developer in the "outside world" typically means Associate in the banks, and VP is the next rung up from Associate, so VP really is just one hop from Senior Developer. Just how they do things there.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

mbesto 7y ago

> I have empathy for the engineers there. Honestly, I don't. There is enough public information about the brash attitudes of this company's execs that anyone working for a company like this should know that the lowest level engineers working on a technical problem like this are eventually just going to get thrown under the bus. I hope this is a lesson learned for smart and impressionable engineers about where to work.

vorpalhex 7y ago
I think you've confused being entirely risk adverse with human empathy.
- mbesto 7y ago
  The implication from the parent comment is that these individuals are going to go through some emotional strain. My point - it's difficult for me to feel the same anxiety someone might feel in this situation when they equally ignored the risks of something that is easily identifiable. They very likely felt elated when they joined because the company was seen as cool, hip, and by all objective means is/was successful (valuation, # of users, etc).