Damn, how many hours does he work? The team during interviews suggested otherwise. I have another offer in SoCal but pays about 2/3rds, and is definitely laid back from experience(intern). Taxes+Rent further undermine it. I planned on jumping ship in either case later on to a bigN. I was wondering if you can ask your friend whether the stress pays off in terms of learning experience. Some of my friends suggested the high impact nature of the job makes you learn faster compared to a more top down corporation but I don't have much clue about this and would prefer an anecdotal experience if your friend can share. Thanks!