4 ms·

Apple is famously lean. The Safari version which shipped with the original iPad 2010 was done by only two people. I find that remarkable. But I too wonder how

by ralfd 15y ago

Apple is famously lean. The Safari version which shipped with the original iPad 2010 was done by only two people. I find that remarkable. But I too wonder how it is to work there. From other companies like Google or Microsoft there are more stories available, from the hiring process to rants from happy or disgruntled employees. Compared to that Apple is even post-Steve an enigmatic black box. Like, how many hacker news comments are there in which the user is outing herself as an engineer at Apple? I don't remember ever reading one.

CoolGuySteve 15y ago
If you go back through my comment history you'll see that I've written a few, but I left for the same reasons as the negative responses here. The company was making billions and I didn't even have stock options, whereas the executive team was getting paid several thousand times as much me. They always said "our pay is competitive with the valley", but it didn't feel right. It came out later that Apple and other Silicon Valley firms were involved in an illegal wage fixing agreement. As an immigrant, I can't start my own business in the US so I went into finance, where the employees are generally more cognisant of their market value. I got a 50% base-pay and 125% overall increase right off the bat as finance is desperate for anyone who is genuinely passionate about technology.
- mahyarm 15y ago
  Do you have a blog post about your transition to finance and the differences in working and living conditions?
  - CoolGuySteve 15y ago
    No, I've never had an employer that allowed blogging. And even then, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the attention given the notoriety of my previous employers. All I can say is that if you have a choice between a large investment bank and a hedge fund, always go with the hedge fund. They are more agile, more casual, and there's a more direct link between your activities and the organization's profit. Overall, it is more similar to tech.

by ralfd 15y ago

CoolGuySteve 15y ago

If you go back through my comment history you'll see that I've written a few, but I left for the same reasons as the negative responses here. The company was making billions and I didn't even have stock options, whereas the executive team was getting paid several thousand times as much me. They always said "our pay is competitive with the valley", but it didn't feel right. It came out later that Apple and other Silicon Valley firms were involved in an illegal wage fixing agreement. As an immigrant, I can't start my own business in the US so I went into finance, where the employees are generally more cognisant of their market value. I got a 50% base-pay and 125% overall increase right off the bat as finance is desperate for anyone who is genuinely passionate about technology.

mahyarm 15y ago
Do you have a blog post about your transition to finance and the differences in working and living conditions?
- CoolGuySteve 15y ago
  No, I've never had an employer that allowed blogging. And even then, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the attention given the notoriety of my previous employers. All I can say is that if you have a choice between a large investment bank and a hedge fund, always go with the hedge fund. They are more agile, more casual, and there's a more direct link between your activities and the organization's profit. Overall, it is more similar to tech.