Ask HN: How does one move from BigTech to more fullfilling places?
I have moved to lesser big companies but still found the talent lacking and people make lives hard for others. Especially in the Bay area. I just want to be mission driven and code, but most places the product, founder or mission and hence the people seem flawed without good incentives. Most simply chase promo and managers often take advantage of this to create a bad environment. Ignoring this behavior for long has led me to burnout with no recognition for doing good work.
At this point, I'm willing to take a paycut for more fulfilling place and a non-profit/OSS seem good places as only people aligned with mission would be likely working there. OSS has more odds of being higher quality and technical. But I have no idea how to break in.
You could go work for the government as either a contractor or employee. The difference in maturity and competence is so mind blowing that will wonder how most software companies ever shipped anything to production.
You’ll never get near the pay, but there are tons of companies, while profit motivated, have much more interesting missions than selling ads to people, that are starved for talent. I’m not saying you’re going to find the most talented colleagues, but your ability to make a large impact is massive in a space that is huge. As just one example industrial non-destructive testing is perfect example, critical to aerospace, nuclear energy and other critical infrastructure, means that at the end of the day these companies are preventing disaster. There is a ton complexity around the physics of radiography, ultrasound, etc, and a ton need of modernization around the software around these technologies.
May be a bad time, but universities and related labs certainly do offer challenges with a better chance of making a positive difference.
I did computer support for one of them. The projects were great and I almost moved "up the hill" to a national lab.
I have zero knowledge of openings, but there is a giant need of support to organizations fighting the destruction of such labs and of democracy itself. If I knew a suitable opening, I'd work there for free (I'm retired and looking out only for younger people at this point.)
Pay cuts can be worth it, but don't choose based purely on the story, choose based on the people, incentives, and actual work you'll be doing.