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Ask HN: Stay in the Job or Leave It?

So I'm a senior engineer and I'm a little over a month into a new job and my gut constantly tells me this is not the right fit. Everything from the social aspect to how the team is arranged to the work that I'm doing. It is a new team in the company where everyone has been recently hired so it was difficult to get a feel for things when everyone's response was "I've only been here for a few months" I have a standing job offer at another company from when I interviewed there earlier this year so I could reach out and take that one which since I have friends who work there I know it's a pretty good place. Here's the rub though. I'm making a ridiculous amount of money at this job. Like retire in a few years money, and leaving to take the standing job offer would be cutting total comp by a substantial (+100k) amount. What are your thoughts?

tlb 5y ago
Every company has dysfunction. You can see it as a curse or an opportunity. To take advantage of the opportunity, go to management with a description of what's wrong and a proposal to fix it, including the role or title you need to get it done. If you can't agree on a plan to fix it in a reasonable time frame, go elsewhere.
- throwawayhn111 5y ago
  Complete Edit. Okay you know what, I wrote something else initially and it was definitely pity party, so I'm editing it because I really hate pity parties for myself. Your advice is good, you're also like the second person recently who said instead of talking stuff down I should try to build it up first. It pisses me off that everywhere I go I have to put in so much groundwork first. I specifically went to this job because it wasn't a startup and I was hoping for the groundwork of the company to carry it, but a new team feels similar to a startup in that it needs people to form the culture and put in effort to lay the ground work. I have a chance to do that here and even though it annoys me that I have to, if I don't no one is going to -- that I know from experience.
yuppie_scum 5y ago
For me, “retire in a few years” is worth sticking around. Then you can go over to the dream company.

tlb 5y ago

Every company has dysfunction. You can see it as a curse or an opportunity. To take advantage of the opportunity, go to management with a description of what's wrong and a proposal to fix it, including the role or title you need to get it done. If you can't agree on a plan to fix it in a reasonable time frame, go elsewhere.

throwawayhn111 5y ago
Complete Edit. Okay you know what, I wrote something else initially and it was definitely pity party, so I'm editing it because I really hate pity parties for myself. Your advice is good, you're also like the second person recently who said instead of talking stuff down I should try to build it up first. It pisses me off that everywhere I go I have to put in so much groundwork first. I specifically went to this job because it wasn't a startup and I was hoping for the groundwork of the company to carry it, but a new team feels similar to a startup in that it needs people to form the culture and put in effort to lay the ground work. I have a chance to do that here and even though it annoys me that I have to, if I don't no one is going to -- that I know from experience.

yuppie_scum 5y ago

For me, “retire in a few years” is worth sticking around. Then you can go over to the dream company.