I worked 80 hour weeks to deliver a platform for a hedge fund,then they fired me
A hedge fund engineer claims they worked 70–80 hour weeks to single‑handedly build a trading platform, only to be fired 48 hours after it went live and lose expected bonuses. Commenters debate whether the story is plausible, but largely converge on themes of overwork, exploitation, and the disposability of employees in high finance. Many emphasize lessons about never relying on verbal bonus promises, avoiding “hero” hours for someone else’s equity, and treating such roles as strictly transactional or contract-based.
Credibility of the Story
- Many commenters doubt the literal details, especially firing the sole OMS developer 48 hours after go‑live; they argue this is the riskiest moment and maintenance is critical.
- Others counter that irrational or short‑termist management is common; they share anecdotes of key staff being laid off during or right after critical launches.
- Some note UK employment norms and protections make an instant firing slightly suspect, but others point out statutory protections are weak in the first two years.
- A few think the article is missing context (e.g., system quality, internal politics, new manager, or prior plans to fire regardless of outcome).
Work Hours, Exploitation, and Career Strategy
- Strong consensus that 70–80 hour weeks for an employer are harmful and usually unrewarded; several say they only do that for their own projects.
- Advice: don’t “play the hero,” don’t base life plans on bonuses or verbal promises, and don’t fall in love with your job—treat it as a contract, nothing more.
- Multiple commenters argue this wasn’t “effective work” but unsustainable crunch and a path to burnout.
- Some suggest the protagonist should market themselves as senior or contractor given what they delivered.
Hedge Funds, Capitalism, and Culture
- Several describe hedge funds and high finance as especially ruthless and transactional; stories of disrespect, litigiousness, and “use then discard” behavior.
- Broader discussion about capitalism: greed vs ambition, shareholder‑value ideology, and businesses prioritizing profit over product, maintenance, or people.
- View that many businesses would happily profit while delivering as little as possible, and that workers are largely “just numbers.”
Management Practices and Firing After Delivery
- Many examples from other companies: big crunches, launches, then mass layoffs or poor reviews to avoid raises.
- Pattern noted: once a v0.9/v1.0 is “good enough,” some managers treat developers like contractors and cut them to save on ongoing cost or avoid future bonus/equity obligations.
- Others emphasize the bus‑factor and long‑term risks of this approach, but note many managers underestimate maintenance needs.
Technical Choices and Risk
- Debate on learning Rust on the job: some say Rust isn’t that hard if you know other typed languages; others worry about someone learning a new language while building high‑risk financial software.
- Question raised why a hedge fund would build a custom OMS instead of buying off‑the‑shelf; one answer is simply that underpaying a single developer can be cheaper in the short term.
- Some speculate the fund may have replaced the protagonist with a more experienced engineer once the initial build was done.
Legal/Ethical Retaliation
- A few muse about “time bombs” or hidden shutdown logic in the code to regain leverage; the overwhelming response is that this is unethical, risky, and likely to lead to legal trouble.
- Recommended lesson: instead of sabotage, limit over‑commitment up front and assume non‑contractual promises may never materialize.