TLDR; Why in their right mind would anyone go to WITCH from FAANG? I haven't personally worked at a FAANG company, but I know people in my circle who do, with some I'm close enough to talk openly about many details of our work. I've had the opportunity to work in tech consulting companies as well as small startups, and it's interesting how often I come across individuals who have transitioned from Google, Amazon, Meta, and other FAANG companies to my current (at that time) company. I never got around to asking them directly, so I thought I'd reach out to you for some insights. If you happen to be one of those who made the move, what motivated you to leave a FAANG company and join Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, or a similar firm? Or perhaps you know someone who can shed some light on this? Let's talk about the compensation aspect for a moment. I understand that pay can vary depending on the location, but it's interesting to note that a fresh graduate or junior position (L3) at Google can offer a total compensation similar to that of a senior manager (L6) at Accenture. So if you switch, you have to take significantly more responsibility if you want to keep your income on similar level. Now, when it comes to expenses. At FAANG companies, you typically get reimbursed for almost anything, as long as your work benefits from it, whereas in consulting, you might receive a chunky notebook and, if you're lucky, a cheap headset and mouse. Sure, there's a chance you could get more if your project covers it, but let's be realistic, why would they? If you want something fancy, you'll have to shell out your own cash, and let's not forget that you're already earning significantly less than your friends at FAANG. Company culture and the people you work with also play a crucial role. In big tech firms, developers usually take center stage, whereas, in consulting, developers are often treated as products to be utilized by clients. They not only have to deliver results but also navigate the delicate balance of satisfying the clients without upsetting them. It's not uncommon to hear stories about people who have been yelled at by a client, only to face further criticism from their own managers, even when the client was clearly in the wrong. FAANG companies typically include behavioral questions in their interviews, which helps filter out difficult personalities. In consulting, however, you're more likely to stumble upon individuals with some serious issues. Given all these factors, I'm genuinely curious about the reasons behind such a career switch. I can think of only two possible explanations: 1) You got pushed out of FAANG. 2) It's a lot harder to get promoted at FAANG, and since you value power and responsibility more than money, you opted for a consulting role. Is there anything else? To clarify, I'm specifically interested in hearing about those who left FAANG for what many might describe as a "tech sweatshop" taking a pay cut or having to grab tons of responsibility to maintain their salary, rather than people who moved on to fancy startups or fintech companies maintaining similar or better TC while working on something fulfilling/interesting. #tech #faang #witch
TLDR ?
Why in their right mind would anyone go to WITCH from FAANG?
More growth for higher career risk. If my goal is to build a billion dollar start up, I need to work in a start up that uses open source tools, not in faang where all my skills are internal. The successful faang engineers are still on a fat paycheck, the successful start up founders are multi millionaires. At faang, it's easy to get stuck on mediocre boring work for that relatively higher paycheck, but I personally think it's a career killer long term due to the lack of useful growth. It's easier to get more challenging, technically interesting, better growth projects in start ups. Think of it as losing money going to college instead of making money working directly after high school. It's an investment towards your own personal growth.
Oh, transitioning to an interesting startup is clear, that's why I mentioned I'd like to hear from people who moved to a 'tech sweatshop'
What % of startups are successful though? Of those, what % actually get a good exit?
This doesn’t happen, it’s always the opposite people going from WITCH, capg, Accenture, etc. -> Big Tech FAANG
Well, it does, like I said in the first paragraph, I've seen these people. It was in bigger rounds of introductions but I never cared to follow up and now I wouldn't even remember who to ask so I hoped someone can share their experience here.
Happy for you or so sorry for you
I don't think there's a reason for either
Wanted monies. Got stress.
This happens for few reasons 1. Sweatshops have location in tier 2 cities and if people want to go back to their tier 2 city for whatever reason they can choose this route 2. Not all in FAANG makes a big buck and there are tons of tiles that pay average wages. So for those people it doesn’t impact monetary wise 3. Wanted to have less stress. Not everyone can handle stress for a prolonged period This is no different than people quitting IIT/IIM/Medical school as soon they join
Ppl commenting about stress haven’t worked at WITCH to know slogging and stress involved in WITCH jobs. Moving from FAANG to WITCH can be for following reasons: 1. Layoff - Layoff from FAANG and market conditions like what we see currently where you may not have lot of options in product world 2. Job Security- for average performance also WITCH offers high job security 3. Power - sheer number of direct reports may be higher and so will their title 4. Location constraints- east coast (except NY) do not have many FAANG options and if spouse’s job requires working from other cities/continue to be in remote role 5. Side gig - since its easy to survive by being avg you can focus on sidegig Money and culture in most scenarios FAANG will win hands down!
Wtf is WITCH?
TC and location. When the sweat George Washington nectar in FAANG stop flowing as much this won’t look as silly. Potential in consulting sweatshops will be higher long term and you guide your own career.
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