[scarface_74]

It’s not a God syndrome or toxic. If you are interested in a promotion at large tech companies, you optimize your behaviors to do that.

If you aren’t interested in promotion and you are less than a senior or whatever the terminal position is considered, you’ll be pushed out.

I couldn’t deal with the politics of BigTech when I was there between the ages of 46-49. I didn’t care about the money enough and I didn’t have the shit tolerance or the will power to act like I did.

You literally couldn’t pay me enough to work at any large company at this point in my life and I’ve ignored opportunities that were basically handed to me to make six figures more than I make now.

[potato3732842]

There are two articles from this author on HN right now. You are in both comment sections attacking any criticism of this sort of selfish and bad for team morale work style. What's your angle?

[scarface_74]

I’m not attacking it. I’m telling you how it works in BigTech companies. That’s also why I got the hell out of BigTech and prefer smaller companies - where I was between 1996-2020 and after 2023 and I’ve turned down opportunities to make a lot more money at larger companies.

[MichaelZuo]

What qualifies them as ‘predators’, just by having differing motivations and goals?

[scarface_74]

They prey on your time and don’t or probably can’t return the favor. You also don’t get credit for helping them when it comes time for your review/promo.

[MichaelZuo]

So…?

Even if all of your coworkers are flaky the majority of the time, that just seems like human nature.

Most people are mediocre or in that ballpark range.

[scarface_74]

Do you care about optimizing your compensation? The author is telling you how to do it. I don’t. But I’m also 50 and did my bid in BigTech. This is good advice for early career folks or people who care about getting ahead.

[MichaelZuo]

I care about asking what qualifies ‘predators’…?

It’s literally spelled out in the prior comment.

[chii]

> They prey on your time and don’t or probably can’t return the favor. You also don’t get credit for helping them when it comes time for your review/promo.

that qualifies as a predator, but you just ignored it and dismissed it.

[qzum]

I believe you are projecting your emotions onto others and trying to find justification for certain behaviors you don’t agree with. However, not every workplace has the same dynamics. I work in a large corporation, and I don’t see the kind of issues you’re experiencing. Moreover, behavior like yours is considered negative in my environment.

[scarface_74]

Are you working in a large tech company that pays top of market?

Of course you aren’t going to get the same type of environment working for Delta, Home Depot, or some other random large non tech company as you do at Google, Facebook, etc.

You’re also going to make a lot less.