Switch from HW Engineering to SWE

Google
Tzfw47

Go to company page Google

Tzfw47
Nov 9, 2021 17 Comments

Thinking about switching to software from hardware. I’ve always been a fan of hardware and passionate about it but never really gave software a chance. While my passion still remains and the work can be second nature at times, the work just seems far and few in between in terms of “rewarding events”. I have a good-enough job, but as time goes on, switching seems ever more appealing. I realize the switch would mean a pay cut for some number of years, but I imagine at some point I can blast past where I would have otherwise been in hardware (in a parallel universe).

Reasons:
-Access to lots of high quality private startup equity (think: instead of just another EV or EVTOL or pet project type startup, the likes of fintech, reddit, roblox)
-Abundance of FAANG+ jobs
-High demand and security (always a shortage vs. line of people out the door)
-More opportunities for growth and “rewarding events” (hardware jobs and orgs take years to grow, projects take many, many years start to finish; it seems any hardware engineer that makes it to FAANG is pretty “top of the field” at least comp wise, yet are L-1 or L-2 compared to their software counterparts and furthermore the L-even is “merely” above avg in the field)
-Greater opportunities for less stress? (Hardware seems like it would be more stressful as lead times are long, mistakes are costly, including unknown-unknowns, and often result in long stretches of burning midnight oil and travel overseas; ala Apple or Tesla)
-Greater opportunities for remote work
-Greater opportunities for WLB (in hardware most places with good TC/growth seem to also be meat grinders)
-and of course….TC

Am I misguided or disillusioned in thinking this (grass always greener effect)? What should I do and how should I do it, if I am to make this switch?

TC: ~ 250k YOE:8

comments

Want to comment? LOG IN or SIGN UP
TOP 17 Comments
  • Apple
    yyyyyyyw

    Go to company page Apple

    yyyyyyyw
    I can feel you.. also considering switch
    Jan 23 10
    • Google
      Tzfw47

      Go to company page Google

      Tzfw47
      OP
      Mechanical and same… tired of the work but stuck. Don’t want a pay cut by going elsewhere. Also importantly besides pay and growth: access to pre IPO equity of the “next big things”. Aside from Tesla and some EV bubble stuff, I haven’t been hearing much of hardware startup millionaires like there is with pure software (or nearly pure) plays time and time again
      Jan 24
    • Apple
      yyyyyyyw

      Go to company page Apple

      yyyyyyyw
      I do see a lot of hardware experts who failed in startup and joined Apple..
      Jan 24
  • Meshify / Design
    Meeeraxc

    Meshify Design

    PRE
    MOOER
    Meeeraxc
    Well you at Google already
    Nov 9, 2021 2
  • What level at G? And do you write RTL? How is the WLB in formal verification/hardware at G?
    Nov 9, 2021 1
    • Google
      Tzfw47

      Go to company page Google

      Tzfw47
      OP
      L4 (~top of band) going on L5 (supposedly within a year). Took a notable down leveling coming here but based on my adjacent colleagues L5 pay, it doesn’t get me stoked how much more I would get. L6 seems a decade away since growth is slow in the org and new “opportunities” are slow and take forever. Moreover moving up to L6 is really where influence and people “under” you becomes a much more notable factor.

      No RTL, no idea verification. WLB in what I do is good most the time. Crappy other times.
      Nov 9, 2021
  • I can feel you. As your CEO said hw is hard yet we are paid less. If you can land a SDE1/2 it might be worth it.
    Nov 9, 2021 0