this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2023
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As a person who worked at one of these cool tech companies that provided food for breakfast lunch and dinner and snacks 24/7, I found I was only using my apartment to sleep. Most of the offices of other amenities such as a gym, and all the tech workers would go out for happy hours. If I was single this would be a very valid option. Some people don't plan to spend time in their apartments.
I never understood that whole tech/startup culture. I would absolutely hate for my entire life to be my job. And from the outside all these "cool" perks are very clearly designed to get you to spend as much time working as possible. No thanks.
I worked normally hour, I just didn't need a full apartment. You going to start your work day there's breakfast you work there's lunch you work until 5:00 and then you go to the gym and then you go back for dinner when you do something cool in the city. I actually have really fond memories of that period.
I'm glad it worked out for you. And I also know that my idea of it all can't possibly apply to every single company that was or is a part of that whole culture.
I just find myself sceptical of it all since I much prefer to have my own time, and my own space as separate from work and the people I work with. And perks like that just very clearly seem designed to get me to spend as much time at work as possible.
I really think that it started as real perks to attract a lot of talent, and slowly got morphed and abused into a way to siphon minutes out of employees lives.
It kind of started when Google, Apple and others started colluding to keep wages low by refusing to hire each other’s talent. They’ve been found guilty of that and I got a nice check of about 10$ plus a pinky promise they wouldn’t do it again. Yeah!
It started before that. In '98 I remember having dinner with someone who worked at Netscape before then who told me about how a co-worker had just been fired for living in the office, something they'd apparently decided to do in the first place because they already then had all of these perks designed to keep them in the office.
The Google, Apple etc. collusion certainly was a huge step up in abusive practices, though.
For what it's worth, I'm an engineer and my experience is the complete opposite, it's a super chill job and I have all the free time I could possibly want.
I guess it depends on what job you look for.
Having worked at, and co-founded, multiple startups over a period of 28 years: Sure. But why are you choosing that?
The reality is that the moment I started standing up to employers or investors and expecting decent standards, they folded and I was able to have a good work-life balance and get paid market rates and still get to work on cool startups and get shares.
These companies prey on most people never thinking to negotiate (and having been on the other side of the table, and tried to be decent: most people never negotiate, even though we almost always have space to do so)
Are 700$ really not that much? Sounds like a lot for a bed
These people are making $80k at the very bottom, $120-200k is typical. Keep in mind they are paying 40% in income taxes alone (federal, state, social security, Medicare). When rent is $3-4k for a room you just sleep in, $700 for a smaller room is a nice savings.
80k minimum? I feel so Europoor.
Actually... 5 weeks of holiday, mostly free healthcare, good public transport, a mostly functioning democracy 🤔 Maybe not that poor. Still can't afford a house 😭
This is a California city. The rest of the US is not so nuts. And it's funny you mention socialist benefits. CA is the most socialist state and it's a giant shit hole for most people.
What happens if you lose your job?
Sign up for the next up and coming tech start up company