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Nobody will go back. One of more interesting experiences from early 2000s in Microsoft was when Microsoft Russia finally crossed 1B in revenue by finally havin

Nobody will go back. One of more interesting experiences from early 2000s in Microsoft was when Microsoft Russia finally crossed 1B in revenue by finally having Gazprom/Sberbank buy all the sh*t that they were pirating before. By doing so, the country was eligible to do the yearly business review in person, instead of over whatever passed for Zoom back then, I don't remember anymore. Olga D...can't remember her last name was the country manager, one of the few women in such position at the time. She invited everyone in russian community (hello rodina email list) to come to the Microsoft conference center in building 34 to listen to repeat of what she did earlier that week to Ballmer. This was the only microsoft event with catered vodka and caviar I've been to, but anyhow, after presentation of the financial stuff it turned a bit into a recruiting event - hey, come back to the motherland, the water is nice, look they are buying software licenses like civilized people, here is the pay scale from levels 61 and up, etc etc. There were ~400 people in the room, and the uptake was 0 (zero). All of us who were there in the room were not there in motherland for a reason.

throw-the-towel 2y ago
You and your peers remember the Russia of the 1990s, dirt poor, barely avoiding famine, with a completely collapsed society and state. The new emigrants remember the Russia of the 2010s, with classy restaurants, developing infrastructure, cheap housing and whatever consumer goods money can buy, and that's very different. Your experience from 20 years ago does not apply anymore.
- usrnm 2y ago
  To be fair, your experience from 5 years ago is just as irrelevant. Russia under sanctions is very different.
  - protomolecule 2y ago
    [flagged]
    - aix1 2y ago
      I assume when you say "politically" you include the ongoing war in Ukraine. I think it's a huge factor in this context, given its impact and the risks it presents to folks (especially young men) who choose to remain in Russia. By some estimates, 900K people have left Russia since the invasion [1], of whom 100K were IT specialists leaving in 2022 alone [2] (I haven't looked at the figures since then). I think that's a pretty strong indication of the sentiment. And wrt the economy, didn't the Central Bank just increase the benchmark rate to 21% [3] (with another 2% hike widely expected in December)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_emigration_during_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_emigration_during_the_... https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/04/1070352/ukraine-war-russia-tech-industry-yandex-skolkovo https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/04/1070352/ukraine-... https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/10/29/russia-s-key-interest-rate-is-now-at-a-record-high-what-does-this-mean-for-the-country-s-economy https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/10/29/russia-s-key-interes...
      - protomolecule 2y ago
        In Russia programmers working at accredited IT-companies are safe from mobilization [0] > I think that's a pretty strong indication of the sentiment. Some left following their western employers, some fled from the mobilization in 2022. >And wrt the economy, didn't the Central Bank just increase the benchmark rate to 21% It did, that's why I said 'mostly'. Kremlin is pumping money into defense industry and into payments to contract soldiers, the Central Bank is doing what it can to curb the inflation. Overall it hasn't affected the life much. [0] https://www.gosuslugi.ru/armydelay https://www.gosuslugi.ru/armydelay
        oytis 2y ago
        > Kremlin is pumping money into defense industry and into payments to contract soldiers, the Central Bank is doing what it can to curb the inflation. Well, yes, and what do you think the impact of it is going to be on the economy?
        2y ago
pkd 2y ago
I know somebody who relocated his entire family after 20+ years in the U.S and is loving it. People are not as monolithic as we are likely to believe sometimes.
- wojciii 2y ago
  I would really love to know more. You know .. those bastard Ukrainians are trying to make us think that everything sucks in Russia because of the war. But I guess that it doesn't matter much if you have money and connections.
zczc 2y ago
Head of Microsoft Russia was Olga Dergunova. As for "nobody will go back" - agree in general, but at least Anton Nossik did go back.

throw-the-towel 2y ago

You and your peers remember the Russia of the 1990s, dirt poor, barely avoiding famine, with a completely collapsed society and state. The new emigrants remember the Russia of the 2010s, with classy restaurants, developing infrastructure, cheap housing and whatever consumer goods money can buy, and that's very different. Your experience from 20 years ago does not apply anymore.

usrnm 2y ago
To be fair, your experience from 5 years ago is just as irrelevant. Russia under sanctions is very different.
- protomolecule 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - aix1 2y ago
    I assume when you say "politically" you include the ongoing war in Ukraine. I think it's a huge factor in this context, given its impact and the risks it presents to folks (especially young men) who choose to remain in Russia. By some estimates, 900K people have left Russia since the invasion [1], of whom 100K were IT specialists leaving in 2022 alone [2] (I haven't looked at the figures since then). I think that's a pretty strong indication of the sentiment. And wrt the economy, didn't the Central Bank just increase the benchmark rate to 21% [3] (with another 2% hike widely expected in December)? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_emigration_during_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukraine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_emigration_during_the_... https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/04/1070352/ukraine-war-russia-tech-industry-yandex-skolkovo https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/04/04/1070352/ukraine-... https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/10/29/russia-s-key-interest-rate-is-now-at-a-record-high-what-does-this-mean-for-the-country-s-economy https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/10/29/russia-s-key-interes...
    - protomolecule 2y ago
      In Russia programmers working at accredited IT-companies are safe from mobilization [0] > I think that's a pretty strong indication of the sentiment. Some left following their western employers, some fled from the mobilization in 2022. >And wrt the economy, didn't the Central Bank just increase the benchmark rate to 21% It did, that's why I said 'mostly'. Kremlin is pumping money into defense industry and into payments to contract soldiers, the Central Bank is doing what it can to curb the inflation. Overall it hasn't affected the life much. [0] https://www.gosuslugi.ru/armydelay https://www.gosuslugi.ru/armydelay
      - oytis 2y ago
        > Kremlin is pumping money into defense industry and into payments to contract soldiers, the Central Bank is doing what it can to curb the inflation. Well, yes, and what do you think the impact of it is going to be on the economy?
        2y ago

pkd 2y ago

I know somebody who relocated his entire family after 20+ years in the U.S and is loving it. People are not as monolithic as we are likely to believe sometimes.

wojciii 2y ago
I would really love to know more. You know .. those bastard Ukrainians are trying to make us think that everything sucks in Russia because of the war. But I guess that it doesn't matter much if you have money and connections.

zczc 2y ago

Head of Microsoft Russia was Olga Dergunova. As for "nobody will go back" - agree in general, but at least Anton Nossik did go back.