I quit Google to work for myself (2018)
A former Google engineer’s 2018 blog post about quitting to bootstrap his own products prompts a broader examination of promotion culture and incentives at big tech firms. Commenters dissect Google’s evolving review and promotion systems, arguing they often reward politics, visibility and “playing the game” over unglamorous but essential engineering work, and describe how this shapes careers, morale and even imposter syndrome. Many contrast the relative financial safety and “golden handcuffs” of FAANG roles with the risk, autonomy and often modest returns of indie hacking and small-business ownership.
Perception of Google’s Engineering Status
- Some see the “smartest engineers in the world” narrative as outdated or self-congratulatory; others argue it was more true around 2008 than now.
- Commenters suggest current “world‑class” engineering may be more visible in crypto/DeFi (e.g., Ethereum) and LLM companies, with Google’s transformer work acknowledged but seen as older.
Promotion System and Internal Incentives
- Much discussion centers on Google’s promotion mechanics: promo committees, manager-written packets, quotas, and level expectations (e.g., reach L4/L5 within a certain time).
- Conflicting accounts: earlier eras had more independent committees and weaker manager influence; more recent reports say promotions are decided “in org” with managers playing a central role.
- Some argue the system enforces consistency and next-level readiness; others say it over-rewards politics, managers’ skill at “working the system,” and big, visible launches.
- There is debate over whether Google culture nudges everyone to optimize for promotion vs. just do good engineering.
Author’s Perspective and Clarifications
- The author agrees early work was not promotion-worthy but felt misled: he did what was asked, was told it was good, then learned it was nearly worthless for advancement.
- He highlights a structural tension: essential “grunge work” (tests, bug fixing, process improvements) is needed but often ignored in promotion decisions.
- He notes other employers promoted him for visible day‑to‑day impact rather than a single “cornerstone” project.
- He left partly because his strengths didn’t align with Google’s advancement criteria; he later built and sold a bootstrapped hardware product and is now focused on family and a book.
Big Tech Pay vs. Bootstrapping
- Several comments compute that staying at Google (and riding stock gains) likely would have made him richer than his bootstrapped profits.
- Some frame this as emblematic of skewed incentives: financially, the optimal move may be to stay in big tech, play politics, and collect stock, not build a small business.
- Others stress autonomy, interesting work, and mental health as valid reasons to leave despite lower expected ROI.
Startups, Lifestyle Businesses, and Risk
- Debate over how “hard” it is to build a successful business: some emphasize high failure rates; others argue founding is easy but scaling to a durable, profitable operation is hard.
- Distinction is made between VC-backed hypergrowth startups (many external dependencies) and bootstrapped “lifestyle” businesses where product–market fit is the main bottleneck.
Broader Reflections on Work, Class, and Motivation
- Long subthreads compare earnings at big tech vs. average workers, cost of living, and what “set for life” means.
- Many argue that promotion-centric systems distort behavior, undervalue quiet excellence, and can feel unfair or dehumanizing.
- Others say understanding “your real customer is whoever controls your comp” is essential career literacy, while critics call this perspective cynical or “hellish.”