How I Left YouTube

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Expectations vs. Reality of the Post

  • Many expected a technical “leaving YouTube the platform” story (self‑hosting, alternative distribution) and were disappointed it was instead a FAANG-career / leveling narrative.
  • Some see it as the prelude to a “career coach / content” business; others simply wish the author well or are curious where they actually went next (unclear, as LinkedIn suggests they’re still at Google).

Leveling, Titles, and Career “Game”

  • Strong debate over big-tech leveling (L4/L5/L6 etc.):
    • Some see it as dystopian and alien compared to most of the industry.
    • Others note every large org has hierarchy, just with different labels.
  • Several argue career ladders are a “made-up game” mainly tied to comp and politics; your level is only loosely related to real responsibility or skill.
  • Others push back that levels do matter for scope, pay, and ownership, and under-leveling can lock you out of higher-impact work.

Promotions, Politics, and Manager Constraints

  • Many share similar stories of doing “senior-level work” while promotions are repeatedly denied due to quotas, calibration pools, or org politics.
  • Some insist denied promos often say more about the system (quotas, timing, manager advocacy) than the engineer’s ability.
  • Others argue the simplest explanation is that the person isn’t yet operating at staff-level autonomy and impact, and that “not enough impact” often means “needs too much supervision” or “too slow per unit time.”
  • Several claim line managers are largely powerless; promotion decisions are committee-driven with hard percentage caps.

Job Hopping, Compensation, and Life Tradeoffs

  • Strong consensus that internal promotions are structurally hard and that switching companies is usually the fastest way to raise comp.
  • Some posters in FAANG describe total comp in the $400–500k+ range and say they’d endure long interview loops for “life-changing” money.
  • Others emphasize diminishing returns: high stress, brutal expectations, taxes, and cost of living make those roles not worth it unless you truly enjoy that environment.
  • A different camp optimizes for salary-to-effort ratio or work–life balance (“quiet quitting,” reduced hours, lots of vacation), framing the ladder chase as optional and often unhealthy.

Interviews and “13 Rounds”

  • Many are appalled by 10–13 interview loops; several see this as evidence of consensus-heavy, risk-averse, and possibly dysfunctional orgs.
  • Others counter that for very high comp and world-scale systems, candidates will tolerate the gauntlet.
  • Some hiring managers argue 3–4 stages should be enough, and that extremely long processes often correlate with indecision and politics.
  • There’s broad frustration with LeetCode-style interviews forcing experienced engineers to grind evenings on algorithm puzzles just to move.

Resume Signaling and Metrics

  • Some dislike hyper-optimized bullets like “improved X by 23.5%,” saying they’re common, often shallow, and don’t convey real difficulty or ownership.
  • Preferred signals for several hiring managers: owning large refactors, high-load systems, autonomy, social trust, and being genuinely “hands-on,” not vague “number-go-up” narratives.

LLM-Assisted Writing Debate

  • Multiple commenters feel the essay’s tone, structure, and the AI-generated image scream LLM assistance and resent lack of disclosure.
  • Others say this accusation pops up on nearly every blog post now; short paragraphs and punchy lines aren’t proof of AI.
  • The actual extent of LLM use in the post remains unclear.

YouTube and Google Product Critique

  • Some readers generalize from the story to critique Google/YouTube culture: promotion games, consensus, and ads/retention focus are seen as reasons products feel stagnant or worse.
  • Heavy criticism of YouTube itself: poor search quality, AI-slop content, addiction mechanics (shorts swiping), rising ad load, and hostility to ad blockers.
  • A few still find recommendations useful and consider YouTube Premium (especially family accounts) decent value, though others see “pay to get back what used to be free” as classic enshittification.

Ethics and Meaning of the Work

  • Several express discomfort that so much talent and stress go into optimizing retention and screen addiction, calling it a questionable life goal.
  • Others respond that economic realities (rent, kids, healthcare) make such ethical purism harder, but agree you shouldn’t sacrifice your life for corporate metrics.

Broader Career Advice and Reactions

  • Many emphasize:
    • Don’t equate self-worth with level or promotion; big-org systems are designed to under-promote.
    • Work enough to be competent and visible, but invest “extra” effort into your own projects or life, not corporate climb.
    • Keep interviewing periodically so you know your market value and have options.
  • Some outside FAANG feel the narrative is out of touch amid a very tough job market where even getting a human response is hard, yet they appreciate candid discussion of how big-tech ladders really work.