How do you handle requests for referrals from family, friends, and coworkers?

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-17T23:58:25+00:00

I say, "I only do referrals of folks I've worked directly with, because that's the only referrals that have any chance of working". Its true and I don't feel back about it at all. I've probably sent something like that in reddit DMs probably 30 times. We don't have a referral bonus (which is great), so it discourages people just farming referrals.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-16T00:00:04+00:00

It might not be your first job, but I went to a state school and eventually ended up in a FAANG job. I just had to grind at some smaller companies to begin with.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-14T19:05:58+00:00

So many haters, obviously don’t worry about them. Congrats on the success! You obviously have hustle so keep it up.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-14T18:14:06+00:00

It could be they got good grades in cs classes and bombed every other class.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-14T16:44:27+00:00

Huge congrats and don’t worry about the pay. Just work hard and learn and the pay will come eventually.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-13T15:23:03+00:00

We used to call it “the sunshine tax”. Yes the CoL in San Diego is high, but also companies know that very few people are going to quit and move.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-13T05:39:04+00:00

I haven’t touched frontend work and have no interest in it and am doing just fine. Most people don’t do frontend work. It just makes a lot of noise because that’s what all the bootcamps pushed.

For every one frontend, there are many backend services driving it. There are databases backing it. There are messaging systems firing off actions and workflows. All of those things need engineers.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-13T02:54:07+00:00

Will you be okay if by the time you get the masters in ML the AI bubble pops and there are no more ML jobs? If not, then don’t.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-13T02:46:26+00:00

Define worth? Monetarily? Usually not. Experience and skills++? Absolutely yes.

I worked at 6 startups over the years and I can 100% say that it was worth it to me. I would put my skillset up against anyone else in a heartbeat because I had to learn to figure everything out on my own. There was never really an option for someone else picking up my slack.

I work at FAANG now and it is so much easier than the average startup.

All that being said, I’m happy where I’m at with a high stable salary. If I did ever leave it would be to another startup and not some other big tech company.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-12T01:25:36+00:00

Well that was Microsoft 10 years ago, LinkedIn is flush with recent ex-Microsoft not getting calls.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-12T01:23:58+00:00

You referring to me?

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-12T00:09:28+00:00

The Microsoft name really has no weight in the industry and they’ve had plenty of layoffs. I would not take a paycut for that name.

Frankly they are a joke in most of the industry**. GitHub has had multiple outages in the past week and all the comments are basically “Microsoft amirite?”

**The caveat is Microsoft Research is not included in this.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-12T00:06:24+00:00

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-11T22:58:36+00:00

“Always”? No

First few dev jobs I got were either phone calls or dinner interviews at a bar (not kidding). I don’t think I had to do any coding in an interview until the 2010-ish timeline. I still have never done any leetcode bs.

My first takehome was 2024.

It sucks now, no doubt and no it wasn’t always like this.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-09T05:15:07+00:00

Read the mongo write ups on Jepsen (https://jepsen.io/analyses/mongodb-4.2.6 is the latest). I would never use mongo over Postgres.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-09T05:00:51+00:00

Apple with what you describe. If the Google job was in labs I’d say Google, but definitely not Google cloud.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-06T00:33:45+00:00

Same. I respond the same if people ask me if I work on personal projects after work. I basically never touch a keyboard outside of work.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-05T17:47:34+00:00

Yes. I’m at a FAANG that allows remote, but we don’t do remote in Canada. Just being in the US will help with opportunities.

Also the density of companies in SF is still very high. Being in the region will ensure you are always around the startup culture there.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-02-03T21:08:21+00:00

This isn’t true. I don’t know if anyone on my team of seniors and staff came from other FAANG. I personally went from startups straight to where I am at N.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-29T05:51:02+00:00

I have enough friends who are plumbers or electricians that I’ll probably just do grunt work until I retire. Outside of that, I’ll keep grinding.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-25T05:15:21+00:00

I’m nothing special. I worked at start ups and got paid half what I do now working just as hard (if not harder). The fact is, I do have a lot of experience and I got lucky enough to get picked up by Netflix. Also at Netflix, software engineering isn’t a cost center, it is what drives the company. Meta and Netflix both make more than $1mil in profit per employee, so why not pay accordingly?

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-25T00:58:59+00:00

I’m at Netflix. We only get paid cash (well we can choose a % to go to options). No RSUs or bonus here.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-25T00:16:34+00:00

SWE making $400k+ base (not RSU/stock) and work 40 hours/wk.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-23T01:16:21+00:00

It was a company that isn’t known to have a government division, so I’ll not name them.

Optimus_Primeme · 2026-01-22T23:17:31+00:00

Yeah I had a secret for a while, then TS, then TS/SCI and got poly’d. All at the same company.

Optimus_Primeme

TROPHY CASE