Quitting FAANG

I accepted the offer at the end of last year to join a start up. Maybe it was the new year bug of needing a change but I swear I put a decent amount of logical evaluation in it. That's actually why I want to write this out: to act as a time-capsule for the rationale of my decision, considering that I am taking a considerable pay-cut from it (well I do have 20% base increase but all those swish FAANG stock now changed to paper options).

To get it out of the way, fortunately no I was not laid-off nor PIP/Focus. So far, I only rotated out of job when I am around my peak performance, which is usually equate to one of the top performers in the org. Additionally, I vibe well with most of my teams and my immediate managers too. Some of them had come to my house more than once and tried my mom's signature nem and phở. As a matter of fact, I feel comfortable leaving because I have build a safety net to return as needed.

So why leave? First and foremost, I have the startup itch for a while now. FAANG can expose you to complex problems or solving issue at scale but at the end of the day, it is almost always just a variable-sized cog in a complicated machine. I noticed a lot of inertia in order to make any changes. Sometimes it is reasonable but some other times, it just feel sluggish. Startup offer an unique opportunity for me to design the machine nearly from scratch, given that I am willing to go beyond just engineering and capable of wearing multiple hats. If the machine works, it means that I am capable. If it doesn't, it means I will learn how not to do thing. Either way, I think both are much more valuable than the regret of not trying it at all.

This is also a career strategic decision too. If I stay where I am, it would take 5-8 years to get to principal/director level, subject to a lot of factor I do not have control (data based on tenured high level folks at Amzn). On the other hand, a boomerang only takes 2-5 years. I suspect this is because the politics nature of promotion versus a low-context interview process. In parallel, it is also connected to my first point above where an individual outside of FAANG probably exposed to more things at different angles.

So why now? I got couple of offers over the years (highly recommend to interview often to know your market value btw) and vetted them carefully to pick this one (may do a separate post on this). Stock vest schedule at FAANG is also a big factor as you should be fiscally responsible. One other somewhat crucial factor is my frustration at Amzn leadership. It really rubbed me the wrong way when J***y get on stage and lie to our face that 90% is happy with RTO5. I don't mind the policy itself but the way it was enacted feels distrustful and frankly it's hard for me to continue to pour my heart and soul to the success of the company at that point.

Another factor more personal is branding or rather ego check. I've been lurking in different tech forums and often time, FAANG engineer words/advices tend to be treated as gospel, even though from my experience lots of sde at least in Amzn can't even exit Vim. Don't get me wrong, I abused the heck out of that fame too to get some dopamine hit (and some side income). However, looking at a macro level, it feels superficial, as if I am afraid of sharing my opinion without hiding behind a brand name. The job should be part of my experience instead of my identity. If I am famous, I want to be known for things I built, not where I am from. Some might say I am too prideful and I would say they are correct!

So that seems to sum it up. I was fortunate enough that this wasn't an emotional decision nor I am bounded by immigration constraints. I don't know what start up has in store for me. There are scenarios where in couple months/years I would just come back. Ideal scenario is a company of my own after. All I know is I am ready to fail and minimizing regrets. So to close it out: I'm sorry but I will stop taking Amazon referral indefinitely 🫡