> I think his derision of entitled ladder-climbing employees is valid from the perspective of someone who sees "building something valuable" as the point of employment.
Call me cynical and jaded, but I don't believe "building something valuable" is the point of employment.
"Building something valuable" is the point of my vocation. I used to believe that the employment and vocation should align. Over the course of more than 20 years of my professional career, the vast majority of the employers I've had have done their best to disabuse me of that notion.
The way I see it, the point of employment is to ensure you have the money and the benefits you need to live comfortably. If your employment and your vocation align, it's a nice bonus. If they don't, do what you're passionate about in your free time.
> Many hackers want to both provide the best possible life for their families and participate in a grand adventure of changing the world by creating something people want.
If you can get that, it's awesome. But if you can't, then you have to choose. And I know what I'm choosing.
Not really. It's a difference between "should have" and "nice to have".
If you go in with the expectation that your job and your vocation should align, then you're setting yourself up for a negative experience. Maybe not immediately, but definitely down the road, because that alignment won't last forever.
I prefer to go in with the idea that it's a desirable, but entirely optional bonus.
I guess it depends on how "risk averse" you are in this context. It's kinda like salary negotiations. I prefer to put most of the weight on the base salary. Equity and bonuses are nice, but if the base salary isn't enough to live comfortably, then you're setting yourself up for a big risk: you're one management decision away from coming up short. Yes, I know that most US employers can fire you at will in theory, but in practice getting laid off doesn't happen as often as the myriad of stuff that can adversely affect your bonus or equity.
Different people have different outlooks. Mine puts the "job-passion balance" in the same category as "bonus" and "equity". It comes from my own, personal experience. YMMV.
Call me cynical and jaded, but I don't believe "building something valuable" is the point of employment.
"Building something valuable" is the point of my vocation. I used to believe that the employment and vocation should align. Over the course of more than 20 years of my professional career, the vast majority of the employers I've had have done their best to disabuse me of that notion.
The way I see it, the point of employment is to ensure you have the money and the benefits you need to live comfortably. If your employment and your vocation align, it's a nice bonus. If they don't, do what you're passionate about in your free time.
> Many hackers want to both provide the best possible life for their families and participate in a grand adventure of changing the world by creating something people want.
If you can get that, it's awesome. But if you can't, then you have to choose. And I know what I'm choosing.