[velominati]

This is great evidence of the greater fool theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_fool_theory

I’ve heard some second hand anecdotes about Magic. Apparently they have one big technology advance, which is that they’ve solved the eye tracking and vertigo challenges of AR. These are hard and not to be underestimated. However the company is supposedly a mess internally - with huge management and political issues. This isn’t surprising - I’ve been in a number of early stage startups and by default they are a mess. Add on top of that billions of dollars of funding and no customers or sales to anchor the company to reality, and its easy to see how AR can become “Alternative Reality”! Further evidence - their recently released headset photos were renderings, not actual products. I genuinely hope that I’m wrong - I’d love for the amazing demo videos they’ve released to congeal into real mass market products.

Does anyone else have good data on Magic?

[ModernMech]

Not any good data, but I've had recruiters tell me that they don't pay very well (in SV terms), instead opting to sell employees on large options packages that will be "worth millions one day". It's a typical SV story, but one I wouldn't expect from a company that's valued at billions of dollars. That kind of behavior seems shady to me, so I wouldn't even consider working there.

[walrus01]

not to excuse significantly lower pay from magic leap, but their compensation might be calculated based on their office location in Plantation, Florida which I presume has significantly lower real estate (rental or purchase) costs than the bay area.

actual take home after rent or mortgage each month might be greater than something in mountain view.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantation,_Florida

spending 20 seconds looking at zillow for that city I see what looks like some fairly decent 3BD/2BA detached homes for $300,000. which would be a pipe dream in seattle, vancouver or bay area.

[mlevental]

their listed hq is in plantation but their offices are scattered around south florida (ft lauderdale and miami). i actually grew up right down the street from their plantation office and housing is very cheap but i guarantee most of their engineers live here in this neighborhood

https://www.zillow.com/plantation-fl/in-Jacaranda-Lakes_att/

[walrus01]

I am probably showing my anti-florida bias here. But if you google "jacaranda lakes gated community", real estate in Florida and other parts of the US southeast creep me out. In a civil society that is functioning properly it should not be necessary for people in the top 15% income earning bracket to isolate themselves off in burbclave-like gated communities (proto-snow-crash style). I have seen this also in Charleston, SC where as a random caucasian, real estate agents warned me away from even thinking about trying to live in certain parts of the city.

Seattle might have some expensive and exclusive areas but it is not like anyone has erected walls and gates around upper queen anne, magnolia, or alaska junction in west seattle.

[bergie]

> burbclave-like gated communities (proto-snow-crash style)

If we ever want to get to the cyberpunk dystopian future, somebody has to lead the way.

[maxxxxx]

A lot of people like gated communities. Not saying this is a good trend but there definitely is demand.

[mlevental]

jacaranda lakes is not gated. hawks landing down the road from jacaranda is though

http://www.hawkslandingrealty.net/

[meestaahjoshee]

also no state income tax in florida

[goshx]

and 6% sales tax

[walrus01]

but depending on your political views, you also have to tolerate living in florida, which can be a distasteful experience to people whose cultural, religious and political values more closely align with the residents of portland, OR.

[adl]

For someone who lives outside the US, but has visited Florida (Miami and Orlando), what do yo mean by tolerate? I understand that they may be more... conservative?. As a tourist, Miami seemed multicultural and fairly liberal, are state politics different?

[kozak]

Could you please explain to a non-American what do you mean here? Sounds like something that is interesting to know :)

[goshx]

I've been living in Florida for 6 years now. The only thing that bothers me here is the hurricane season.

[mlevental]

south florida isn't so bad. miami especially is very liberal (except for the cuban exiles)

[JumpCrisscross]

> opting to sell employees on large options packages that will be "worth millions one day"

They're also notorious for refusing to allow employees to sell their shares, even if nothing in the original agreement prohibits a compliant transfer.

[DavidHm]

Is the refusal legally valid, or just pressure?

[Holomakerbot]

Here’s some actual data: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Magic-Leap-Salaries-E799754...

[mbesto]

> However the company is supposedly a mess internally - with huge management and political issues.

This typically happens when there is high pressure to deliver, but you have zero revenues. So, it wouldn't surprise me.