43 ms·
Ask HN: How does a software engineer become an executive at a big company?
- noahc 11y agoStop being a software engineer and start focusing on solving business and people problems. My experience has been that if you're good ( at both software and business) the company will try to move you in the 'leadership' direction as opposed to push you into a Sr. dev role. Companies need more executives that understand technology, because there is a huge technology war going on in old tired industries right now and even the not so bright see technology as the future. Software really is eating the world.
- codeonfire 11y agoThey don't. At one particular tech company, I examined all 100+ VP's. Only one had a software engineering background and no longer works there. Merely talking about engineering will get you labelled as a serf in any big company.
- dorfuss 11y agoMore generally: From my (limited) experience 90% of the executives studied law or economics and simply worked for the company long enough to out live all competitors. At one the "Big four" companies I worked for the managing director had a degree in strict sciences, and worked his/her way up by specialising in security in the financial sector. Three psychological factors before they got to the highest echelons: they were efficient, they knew the business VERY well, and they liked taking risk (many did extreme sport like freediving etc.).
- mbrodersen 11y agoFocus on office politics and not on actually doing anything useful.
- tixocloud 11y agoLearn how to build relationships, fix business problems and spot opportunities