Google vs Amazon

Oracle ngng
May 3 20 Comments

Considering an opportunity at AWS but hearing that google has much better work culture, benefits and much lesser politics, backstabbing and rogue management compared to Amazon. Is it really true for most part? GCP vs AWS. I personally can’t believe a company can become great if it punishes employees to this extent and has a poisonous work culture. I am being told most amazonians leave AWS before their stocks vest due to the poor WLB and crazy work culture. Maybe the guys telling me are giving me total BS. But would like to know more reality.

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 TOP 20 Comments
  • Amazon
    ps.ily

    Amazon

    PRE
    Google
     ps.ilymore
    AWS is better for customers but Google is better employees
    May 3 2
    • Oracle ngng
      OP
      Happy customers in general start with happy employees right? On a longer term. How does AWS do it?
      May 3
    • Morgan Stanley
      summer_gen

      Morgan Stanley

      PRE
      Microsoft
       summer_genmore
      Not necessarily. Our customers are pretty happy.
      May 3
  • Microsoft / Product
    Brazuka

    Microsoft Product

    PRE
    Bain & Company
     Brazukamore
    Get offer from both first then come back here to ask this question
    May 3 4
    • Oracle ngng
      OP
      I have both already
      May 3
    • Oracle ngng
      OP
      I didn’t ask this question to the interviewers, hiring mgr or recruiter though :-)
      May 3
    • Snapchat L6; >12yoe
      TC, level and location?
      May 3
    • Microsoft / Product
      Brazuka

      Microsoft Product

      PRE
      Bain & Company
       Brazukamore
      Exactly, if you have both why didn't state the tc and loc? Hard to say an opinion without it
      May 3
  • Google fxf
    GCP is almost entirely new-hires from AMZN/MSFT and has a very different culture than old Google. Expect plenty of politics and, most noticeably, empire building.
    May 3 4
    • Google / Eng
      ಬಡ್ಡಿ ಮಗ

      Google Eng

      PRE
      Amazon, Netflix
       ಬಡ್ಡಿ ಮಗmore
      +1
      May 3
    • Google UkHq61
      +1. Every single one in my team (including me, my manager and skip) is ex-MSFT.
      May 3
    • Google dCyj41
      Yep, with the added bonus of being less organized than MS. So a bunch of disfunctional empires!
      May 3
    • Google UkHq61
      so true.

      all the focus is on design docs and OKRs instead of getting shit that customers want done.

      ownership is aweful too.
      May 3
  • Snapchat L6; >12yoe
    From someone who has worked in both, I can safely say that the chances of you regretting picking Google over Amzn is way less than the other way around if the factors you mention in the post are important for you.
    May 3 0
  • Qualcomm NqAf57
    I've heard the same about AWS. I'm sure that there are some good groups within Amazon, like with any company, but my understanding is that the focus on "being lean" equates to being cheap and miserly. Also, I heard that the average tenure of someone at AWS is less than 3 years, which also speaks volumes about the company.
    May 3 4
    • Google uzaname
      Short average tenure might simply mean that they are growing like crazy
      May 3
    • Qualcomm NqAf57
      Yeah, and the company is not recognising that and incentivizing them to stay.
      May 3
    • Amazon / Eng quantish
      If you started 1 year ago at a company and are still there your short tenure still factors into averages. Rapid growth lowers average tenure.
      May 3
    • Qualcomm NqAf57
      Ah yes, that makes sense. 🙂
      May 3
  • American Express bugrama
    I picked Amazon over Google since Amazon paid way higher than G and G didn't match. Work wasn't exciting either at G. Your wlb is every much dpenedent on the team. AWS work is not as fancy as it seems. Again depemds on which team in AWS. Come to amazon if you enjoy fast pace. No one can guarantee that manager, team, wlb would turnout to be nice at any place.
    May 3 0