Understood. I don't disagree.

However: even joining companies with amazing engineering departments, salaries and even great executive departments is not a guarantee that the software making process is at the same level. I say this with experience in one FAANG, two YC startups and two multi-billion-dollar unicorns.

There is a fundamental disdain towards both developers and users in the industry, visible on one side by the RTO/layoffs/AI-replacement, and on the other with dark patterns, cookie-banners, autoplay videos, behavioral experimentation and recklessness with data and general slowness.

I still maintain that saying "no" to things that damage the world and compromise the work is the duty of anyone calling themselves an engineer.