[sures]

Hey! Thanks for responding to this thread. Because you have moved from Principal Engineer to Dev Manager position I want to know how the experience has been.

I have remained in Principal Engineer role and do not want to climb the ladder further because I don't think I can take the meeting load of management role.

What do you think about your role? Do you enjoy being Dev Manager more than Principal Engineer? Does it provide faster growth (designation and money wise)?

[blrdev356]

It has been terrible in the initial few months. It was definitely out of my comfort zone and every week had been a roller coaster. But now, I kind of settled in and started to enjoy it. There are certain nuances this role needs us to learn which no one can teach and needs to be experienced first hand. I'm becoming better at small talk and ability to sell ideas which I lacked in previous roles.

It may not provide faster growth designation wise but I'm hoping money wise its a good choice as what I'm now paid is the entry level salary in management in most of the companies I worked for previously.

[lnkmails]

All these INR numbers are making me want to come back :). As much as I enjoy working here in the US, the cost of living etc pretty much takes most of the income. I still manage to save 30% of my income but it requires good level of discipline and actively avoiding anything I think is "luxurious" (not eating out much, doing household chores ourselves.). I make a decent high six figure salary and I am not in SV but in DC metro area (not that cheap compared to SV). In India, I could probably have a maid/help and offload few of the chores and lead a far more comfortable life than here. Sure, I won't be driving a BMW but at least I will be close to family saving the exact 30% but with more happiness being around culture I am more familiar with. I am fairly Americanized but the climate here is becoming more hostile. I do walk into stores preparing for some racial comments or worst case a mindless idiot going for his gun. I didn't know how much I would be making in India because I never ever worked there but looking at these numbers, the move is at least worth contemplating.

[blrdev356]

Quality of living sucks though. The same money won't buy you same comforts. Commute is terrible. Housing sucks. Coming from a small village, I often feel alien here :). Though its a different kind of alien when compared with when I was in USA for short visits.

Healthcare is usually way cheaper and you can hire maid+cook. All I can say is that money shouldn't be primary driver for your decision unless you are doubling your savings. Also there is huge risk of rupee depreciation which is robbing us of any real wage growth.

[sures]

I agree with this comment. The quality of life in a place like Bangalore or Mumbai is quite bad when you compare with an American city. Imagine spending 60 minutes to 90 minutes for one way commute to work just 6 miles away!

[lnkmails]

Ok. I have to make a choice between driving 60 mins for 6 miles vs getting shot at Walmart :). I am joking but I knew already commute is a problem in India. Is work from home more prevalant there?

[sures]

Work from home is prevalent in India in some companies. The policy or the practice around it varies from no WFH at all to 1 day of WFH per month to 1 day of WFH per week to WFH whenever you like.