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I've never understood obsession with FAANG. Seems like it is only meaningful to younger folks in the industry looking to establish themselves. You want FAANG on

I've never understood obsession with FAANG. Seems like it is only meaningful to younger folks in the industry looking to establish themselves. You want FAANG on your resume so you can get the job you really want.

marstall 5y ago
they pay 2-3x.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
throwawaysea 5y ago
The obsession is simply around getting a high pay and great benefits at a very stable company. FAANG seems like a high confidence path to more money than employees probably ever wanted or expected. The reasons behind that are worth considering. We live in an economy that is increasingly consolidated, where massive capital sits with a few giants, where new innovators are easily copied by those giants, where network effects and shady practices discourage new competition. If we had a more competitive economy, with functioning anti trust law, and protections for small innovators rather than giant conglomerates, I think talent might be distributed differently. But otherwise it is rational to look at the situation, realize nothing will be done, and to just work at FAANG and let the dollars roll in.
meowkit 5y ago
Same obsession as with the Ivy's/top schools. Its a status marker/credential.
- tech_tuna 5y ago
  Exactly this, plus high pay. However, I've known lots of people who have worked at FAANG companies and while they tend to hire extremely bright people that doesn't correlate with everyone doing interesting work. As a friend put it, "yeah, I got to work at Google but I spent 3 years fixing obscure bugs in the Dart engine for Chrome." Also, keep in mind that the FAANG companies sort of have to pay a ton because most engineers would likely rather work at a startup where they get to be big fish in a small pond and build something new.
  - Jensson 5y ago
    > while they tend to hire extremely bright people that doesn't correlate with everyone doing interesting work. If you are the dumbest person in the room then you will become the last pick for interesting projects, and someone has to do all the boring work.

marstall 5y ago

they pay 2-3x.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

throwawaysea 5y ago

The obsession is simply around getting a high pay and great benefits at a very stable company. FAANG seems like a high confidence path to more money than employees probably ever wanted or expected. The reasons behind that are worth considering. We live in an economy that is increasingly consolidated, where massive capital sits with a few giants, where new innovators are easily copied by those giants, where network effects and shady practices discourage new competition. If we had a more competitive economy, with functioning anti trust law, and protections for small innovators rather than giant conglomerates, I think talent might be distributed differently. But otherwise it is rational to look at the situation, realize nothing will be done, and to just work at FAANG and let the dollars roll in.

meowkit 5y ago

Same obsession as with the Ivy's/top schools. Its a status marker/credential.

tech_tuna 5y ago
Exactly this, plus high pay. However, I've known lots of people who have worked at FAANG companies and while they tend to hire extremely bright people that doesn't correlate with everyone doing interesting work. As a friend put it, "yeah, I got to work at Google but I spent 3 years fixing obscure bugs in the Dart engine for Chrome." Also, keep in mind that the FAANG companies sort of have to pay a ton because most engineers would likely rather work at a startup where they get to be big fish in a small pond and build something new.
- Jensson 5y ago
  > while they tend to hire extremely bright people that doesn't correlate with everyone doing interesting work. If you are the dumbest person in the room then you will become the last pick for interesting projects, and someone has to do all the boring work.