Very true, and I must say I'm jealous of the opportunity to even walk away from something like Google. One of the things I love about this story, however, is that it is a classic example of a person going through Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Perhaps that's just because I finished a first year Psych course. Still, I find these kind of stories interesting; the sort of, "Even with all my ambition and success I was still wanting for something more" story. I just finished reading David Mitchell's Back Story and it's rather similar. A memoir of achieving great ambition (he's followed in the footsteps of people like Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie) and inevitably realizing he's been missing something huge.Frankly, she's lucky she has options. Too many people don't, at least not good ones. This is certainly a first world problem.
I suppose I could wake up one day and realize that I've been missing out on something huge too. I just want to be a sculptor dammit! But I count myself extremely lucky in that my professional career gives me the time I need to pursue the hobbies that fulfill me. Music, podcasts and even Hubski. Without these things, I would likely feel similarly to her... without these things, I might go postal. Google sure has done a good job positioning themselves as the place to aspire to be. I have several friends that count them as their dream employer. Is it the ping-pong tables, the great cafeteria, the in-house barber and dentist? Because it sure as shit isn't the don't be evil, is it? The gild is off the lilly so to speak.
I think that's a big part of it, for me at least. It's part a reflection of the playfulness that for many hackers was a driving force behind their abilities and a sign of an effort to address all the needs of employees in order to help them reach their full potential. Plus, they put seem to emphasize (they may have been the first big company to do this, I'm not sure) the importance of developers having parallel career tracks for things like management and programming. In a traditional org you will find that you inevitably plateau unless you get into management. I probably, like many other developers, overly romanticize working at a place like Google. I'm sure there are your standard gripes from working at any big corporation: shitty management, uncaring bureaucracy, etc. Which is probably why so many people pursue that kind of environment in startups (just check out Dropbox's jobs page).Google sure has done a good job positioning themselves as the place to aspire to be. I have several friends that count them as their dream employer. Is it the ping-pong tables, the great cafeteria, the in-house barber and dentist? Because it sure is no longer the do no evil, is it?
Music studio... and Whiskey Friday's? Sign me up Drop Box. My company always talks about the 4 F's -Fast, something, something and Fun. For the most part they live up to them, I think. I forget the middle two F's. The biggest thing I require is autonomy. I don't care if your office is across from Disney World, I want to work from home. I don't want anyone breathing over my shoulder or messing with me unless I'm not meeting your expectations. Leave me alone and let me get what you asked me to get done, done. ... plus Whiskey Fridays.