Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome

Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by psyc on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @05:36PM (#28148125)

I always thought it was more appropriate for most purposes. But on HN, perhaps the most common purpose is discussing ludicrous total comp. And, at least when I left in 2010, Microsoft most certainly did not offer that. I heard that they raised pay across the board shortly after I left, but considering where they started, I’d be shocked if it put them on par with FAANG. Anybody know?

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by TechBro8615 on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @07:30PM (#28149511)

It’s a dog whistle for fellow prestige whores and status collectors. Literally nobody cares what megacorp buys your time from you. I’d posit that if you’re optimizing for comp and stock options you’re either a well-balanced person with priorities outside your career, or the complete opposite – obsessed with chasing status symbols and a myopic idea of success.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by Sanguinaire on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @08:02PM (#28149854)

Is it better to aspire for balance by chasing both, or neither? After all, what is status if you have no-one to brag to - and what good is having a lot of free time when you are just going to end up dead either way, and with work being the best chance most of us get at making a mark on the world.

Not meant as a snide/flippant remark; this shit is what keeps me up at night.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by TechBro8615 on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @08:09PM (#28149917)

What was the Steve Jobs quote? Something like “if you look in the mirror in the morning and you’re not excited about what you’re doing that day, go do something else.”

Or the Bezos quote about “imagining myself 80 on a rocking chair – will I regret not doing this?”

As a young adult mostly lacking in wisdom of my own, I’ve found myself coming back to these quotes time and time again. Their philosophy is sound.

If you don’t want balance, then you should go all in. In general, people should take more risk. This is especially true in tech where the downside is often vastly overstated – even if you fail completely, you can get a new job in two days.

My advice to anyone at FAANG feeling unfulfilled is to quit and take a risk to do something awesome. Even if you fail you’ll still grow more than you would working for a megacorp with a recruiting funnel that intrinsically selects for conformists and rule followers.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by IggleSniggle on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @06:09PM (#28148462)

I don’t really know, but I’m under the impression that Amazon comp is pretty comparable to Microsoft these days.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by jabedude on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @07:25PM (#28149432)

I think AMZN stock value increases pushes Amazon comp well past Microsoft

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by whimsicalism on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @07:37PM (#28149596)

Both MS and AMZN have increased comparable amounts in value.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by meetups323 on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @06:34PM (#28148751)

levels.fyi has MSFT at ~75% of GAAF salaries for equal positions (N is apparently exclusively Seniors getting a cool half mil in pure salary and nothing else? Not sure how accurate that is...)

That being said, it's hard to compare directly. I know many M folks, and some F, G, A and A folks. The M folks probably work at most 75% of the hours of the others. I for one would much rather work a standard 9-5 and make a lot than work 996 (not that extreme, but kinda) and make downright absurd amounts...

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by whimsicalism on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @07:39PM (#28149609)

Amazon seems pretty comparable to MS, not sure where you are looking.

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Re:Actual impostors don't get impostor syndrome by ojbyrne on Wednesday August 11, 2021 @08:28PM (#28150077)

levels.fyi has LinkedIn broken out from MSFT even though it’s wholly owned by them. And LI levels seem comparable to FANG. Also GitHub is a subsidiary of MSFT that seems to pay better than the parent company.

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