I've currently got ~5 years experience at a Series-C startup, a Sr Staff title, and TC of about $250 However the company is dying, they've had like 4 rounds of layoffs at this point and have massively downsized from their peak. They have recently secured funding for at least another year, and I'm being offered a $50k retention bonus on top of my TC of $250 to stay for 12 months. While my position is safe (unless the whole company goes under), I'm feeling kind of stuck at a dead-end company with nowhere to go from here. I honestly don't believe in the company any more, and I feel like my skills as a staff eng are kind of going to waste as there are only a few very senior people left writing code. However it feels "safe". I know the code, I've built most of the stack, the technology is finally running smoothly and I would easily be able to coast for the year or longer if they make it. Enter Dropbox. I recently got an offer to come in at IC4 with a TC of around $350k. But I've read many things and talked with some insiders about how Dropbox today isn't the Dropbox of 5 years ago. Many of the best people have left and there was a loss of institutional knowledge, there is infighting between teams and lots of politics, the company's stock just took a nosedive recently, and it just seems like they're grasping at straws to find their next big thing. Plus I'm not sure how I feel about being a small fish in a big company again. So does anyone have any advice? Is dbx really as bad as I've read? Am I fucking stupid to turn down $100k more per year and the prospect of actually heading up in my career again? #startup #dropbox
No downside of leaving beside getting out of your comfort zone. There are a lot of upsides and more potential upsides.
With the retention bonus you'd be missing out on $50k, not 100. Sounds like you need to leave tho tbh
The startup seems super unstable right now, if they’re scrambling to raise money to pay their employees. Dropbox doesn’t sound ideal either, but it’s the better option I think. Their stock has been stagnant for years.
I’d stick around the startup and keep interviewing. You can do better than that TC with your experience, and Dropbox has gone downhill since they started laying off people. They have no innovators left and they’ve been trying to reduce staff through tougher performance reviews and more quick firings between reviews.
Do they fire?
How was the interview? can I DM you?
Your position is not safe. Get the hell out of there!