Rivian (264k) vs Samsara (252k)

Jan 10 46 Comments

Hi Blind Fam, please advice on which offer to pick? (Hopefully with your reason in the comments 😇)

CURRENT JOB
- Senior SE, 3.5 YOE (5 months at ServiceNow)
- Estimated 2022 TC: 270k to 280k

- Cons: Work isn’t challenging and is very very boring, Platform skills aren’t that easy to transfer, Old Stack, Lack of Diversity, Most people dislike the product
- Pros - 30hr workweek, Chill Manager & teammates, Great Stock

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Offer 1 - RIVIAN (Sr. Engineer)

- TC: 190k + 10% Bonus + 220k RSU = 264k
- Sign-on Bonus: 15k, Brings 1st year to 279k

- Pros: Fully Remote, Awesome Manager (worked under him in a different company), Cool product, New space that I haven’t worked in, Smart Manager and Director who are solid engineers (I like not being the smartest person in the room), good opportunity to make long term impact (resume browny points), Somewhat better brand name
- Cons: Definitely 50hr workweek, Remote Role so couldn’t bring TC close to Max Bay Area offers. I do plan to stay in the Bay area at least for a year.

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SAMSARA (Sr. Engineer)

- TC: 165k + 10% Bonus + 12172 Shares(3043/yr) = ~252k ($23 a share) to ~262k ($26 a share)

- Pros: Remote, eCommerce overhaul work(relevant to past experience), good interview experience, better in-depth technical rounds
- Cons: Young Manager and Teammates, Lower TC, Not a well-known name though they are great at what they do (IoT)

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OTHER INTERVIEWS
- Google's Onsite in Late February
- Starting the process with Meta & TikTok
- Potentially interviews with LinkedIn, Microsoft, AirTable, Affirm

Thanks 🙏

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TOP 46 Comments
  • Samsara
    qDIY50

    Go to company page Samsara

    qDIY50
    Don’t join Samsara. Underpaid and overworked. Most people want to leave tbh.
    Jan 11 14
  • > Work isn’t challenging and is very very boring, Platform skills aren’t that easy to transfer

    You definitely don't want to join Samsara then. Boring work and bad technical practices.

    Not sure if you can get a better offer at FAANG though, since you're a senior with only 3.5 YoE.
    Jan 12 2
    • I was thinking the same. Offers in FAANG are around these numbers (albeit usually with a better joining bonus and quality of stock) for my YOE. I know top offers are much higher if people bag multiple FAANG offers at the same time. But I am still working on my LC skills slowly so there's still some time before that could happen 😊
      Jan 13
    • New
      YNwA22

      New

      YNwA22
      Question for Samsara if you can answer, I am in the middle of the interview process and got to know the bonus component is tied to company performance. Can you share how much percentage of bonus you are getting?
      Feb 16
  • PayPal
    IYba23

    Go to company page PayPal

    IYba23
    I’d stay with the current role but I’m a lazy POS so your mileage may vary
    Jan 10 3
    • PayPal
      IYba23

      Go to company page PayPal

      IYba23
      How old are you, and how many YOE?

      I’m 32 and I used to crave challenge as well, until I worked at AWS for 2 years and now sugar is all I want.

      At PayPal I consistently had 2 hour work days and I didn’t miss the hustle for one second
      Jan 10
    • I am 26 feel ServiceNow is not the right place for me. I don't feel proud of the projects/technical challenges I face at ServiceNow.
      Jan 10
  • Samsara
    sosapien

    Go to company page Samsara

    sosapien
    It’s all about what you’re looking for now. Samsara is a great experience in fast scaling start up. Out of the two, I’d pick Samsara because they just IPO’d and you’ll learn a lot.
    As someone who was at Samsara and now at FAANG, I appreciate the experience at Samsara but very happy with where I am now.
    Finish your interviews if you have the time and are seriously interested in going into big company. If you’re still interested in working super hard but make an impact, take one of the offers.
    Jan 11 1
  • OP what org were you in at ServiceNow? Platform or App Dev?
    Jan 14 3