4 ms·
I've admired Panic for the entirety of my career, they're always doing really nice work, and I'm glad they're still going strong in a time where native desktop
by micromacrofoot 5y ago
I've admired Panic for the entirety of my career, they're always doing really nice work, and I'm glad they're still going strong in a time where native desktop apps aren't really the du jour.
- echelon 5y ago
- micromacrofoot 5y agoFrom afar it seems their strategy is "make cool shit." They published Untitled Goose Game for the Nintendo Switch, and years and years ago made some official licensed shirts for the PS2 game Katamari Damacy. They really are all over the map and it's wonderful. I imagine part of their physical location requirement is their expensive custom office (https://panic.com/blog/the-panic-office/ https://panic.com/blog/the-panic-office/)... but they do a lot of creative work and in my experience it's hard to brainstorm and do creative problem solving remotely (not impossible, but also not the same).
- AceJohnny2 5y agoNitpick: they didn't "make Firewatch". It was developed by Campo Santo (since acquihired by Valve), and published (in part) by Panic. But I was surprised to learn they are the ones who made Untitled Goose Game.
- toastercat 5y agoThey only published Goose Game. It was developed by an indie studio from Australia.
- AceJohnny2 5y agoYou're right, I misread the wikipedia page.
- micromacrofoot 5y agoYeah my mistake! Forgot about Campo Santo. Fixed. Thanks.
- lelandfe 5y agoThey did a lot of cool stuff around the periphery of Firewatch though, like building the ability to actually print the photos you take in game. Panic is such a cool company. https://panic.com/blog/firewatch-one-month-later/ https://panic.com/blog/firewatch-one-month-later/
- Wowfunhappy 5y ago> I imagine part of their physical location requirement is their expensive custom office. I'm broadly in favor of the power of in-person collaboration, but I'd like to point out that this is a terrible reason to do anything. Sunk cost fallacy and all that. Of course, Panic may have invested in an expensive custom office because they believe in its ability to enhance work.
- echelon 5y agoThanks, that's the answer I was after! (Sorry if I touched on a nerve, I was curious and a little bit skeptical.)
- reaperducer 5y agoThese are the same folks that are making that wind up console? I don't understand it. They're all over the place. A video game, a video game console, an SSH client, and a text editor. What's the strategy with all of this? Also, they're hiring, but they don't do equity, and they want you to be physically located at their office? What? Perhaps they're filtering out the tech bros for whom equity and remote are deal-breakers. Since you're not familiar with Panic, this is not a startup, it's a real company. It's been around for decades and has a sterling reputation in the tech community. Think of it as an artisan technology group. It's a company with a reputation for being fun, and putting out work of a quality to which any FAANG should aspire. Even Apple.
- eyelidlessness 5y agoWell this is a new definition of “tech bro” to me. In my experience the people who either identified themselves or fit the stereotype preferred office life, and all of the social life it affords/requires. I’ve been remote most of my career and still prefer it despite difficulties posed by the pandemic. It’s quiet, I can focus on work goals without also accommodating a high school-like social atmosphere, and it’s… quiet. My sensory issues are limited to the things I live with at home. It’s a shame if companies making cool and unique products think that’s some kind of a cultural signal that candidates are tech bros. They’re basically excluding almost everyone with autism and ADHD.
- micromacrofoot 5y agoI have autism and ADHD and prefer working alone most of the time, but I’m also bad at making friends and enjoy occasional casual collaborative or parallel in-person work. I’d like going to an office once a week rather than 0 times. There are many personal preferences that aren’t clearly defined by one option or the other… I wonder what kind of flexibility develops in-between the two?
- eyelidlessness 5y agoI feel the same way (if not in the same proportions) for what it’s worth. I would definitely prefer an occasional in person work life if it’s available. But I’ve only really encountered that with places that are remote by default.
- mushufasa 5y ago> but they don't do equity If it's an independent business since 1997 the implication is they're not for sale, so equity wouldn't be likely to achieve any liquidity, hence relatively meaningless.
- runako 5y agoThis only follows for businesses that do not pay a dividend. Assuming Panic is profitable, equity could easily result in profit-sharing or dividends. Facilitating employee share sales would also allow employees to take on more or less Panic risk depending on their personal tolerance. Other companies have done similar for decades/centuries.
- mushufasa 5y agothey do profit-sharing bonuses it seems
- FireBeyond 5y agoJust like Mailchimp! "We're never going to sell! Oh, hold up, you said twelve billion? With a B? Uhh, okay, we need to talk."
- echelon 5y agoExactly what came to my mind as well. https://medium.com/project-tinker/mailchimp-just-screwed-over-their-employees-c1ea745814b2 https://medium.com/project-tinker/mailchimp-just-screwed-ove... https://slashdot.org/story/21/11/11/1634237/intuit-slashes-pay-and-cuts-health-benefits-of-mailchimp-employees https://slashdot.org/story/21/11/11/1634237/intuit-slashes-p... https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-weekly-mailchimp-uber-ron-klain-9-2021 https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-weekly-mailchimp-ube... Similar situation with Epic and other firms taking on lots of investment, but freezing employees out of any gains.
- cercatrova 5y agoThat employees are "screwed over" is always a weird argument to me. Presumably these employees are free to choose the company they work for, and so they could've chosen companies that provide equity over those who don't. I was under the impression that Mailchimp paid well through salary and bonuses. To be compensated for many years and then cry foul when the founders exit and the employee having gotten nothing (because, they chose to work there and not elsewhere) is to want to have one's cake and to eat it too.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- qbasic_forever 5y agoLifestyle business. Do what you want, not what investors necessarily want.
- mdoms 5y ago> Also, they're hiring, but they don't do equity, and they want you to be physically located at their office? I don't get paid equity. I exchange my time for a salary, same way most people work all over the world for centuries.
- mattl 5y agoAll their products are amazing. I have most of them.
- coldtea 5y agoWell, the strategy/all over the place, is something that can be argued. But "Also, they're hiring, but they don't do equity, and they want you to be physically located at their office?". Well, it's up to them. You don't have to go work there.
- bodge5000 5y agoLooks like they do offer remote, you just have to live in the US (which is a shame, but understandable for financial reasons and all that)