6 ms·

That $1MM in stock is probably spread out over many (many) years of staying with the company. Golden handcuffs can be quite dangerous in sabotaging brilliant pe

That $1MM in stock is probably spread out over many (many) years of staying with the company. Golden handcuffs can be quite dangerous in sabotaging brilliant people's careers and making them settle for mediocrity.

balls187 12y ago
I don't think being well comped Google, Facebook or Twitter (a friend of mine recv'd $640k in RSU's) is settling for mediocrity. Generally RSU terms are 1 year cliff, 4 year vest, so that's an EV of $250k per-year. More if the stock price increases. I'd imagine that stock grants come as both performance bonus grants and RSU's, and that they come on an annual-semi annual basis. But yes, golden handcuffs can lead to institutionalization, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
- null_ptr 12y ago
  > I don't think being well comped Google, Facebook or Twitter (a friend of mine recv'd $640k in RSU's) is settling for mediocrity. I didn't mean the compensation is mediocre, but the work you're doing. I'm sure a lot of brilliant people choose to stick it out for "just 5 more years" over and over again to get more of that $1MM, rather than go off independently and realize their ideas, or join a modest company that works on fresh things.
  - JoachimSchipper 12y ago
    Some of that is true, but making a huge company like Google a tiny bit better adds quite a lot to the world. There is a reason why they pay better than startups...
- malandrew 12y ago
  While there are a lot of opportunities in those companies where you work on amazing projects that can accrue to you amazing experience, there are also a lot of areas in those companies where the amount of value you are accruing to your experience is less than other opportunities available to you. This is an experience opportunity cost.
ryandrake 12y ago
Even so, that total is about two orders of magnitude over what I've ever seen in my 15+ year career in the tech industry. A MILLION dollars (over 4 years) for employee number 53,862? This can't be real. If so, I suppose this is why I can no longer afford to live in the South Bay. Join Google, buy a house. Not even trying to hide my jealousy!

balls187 12y ago

I don't think being well comped Google, Facebook or Twitter (a friend of mine recv'd $640k in RSU's) is settling for mediocrity. Generally RSU terms are 1 year cliff, 4 year vest, so that's an EV of $250k per-year. More if the stock price increases. I'd imagine that stock grants come as both performance bonus grants and RSU's, and that they come on an annual-semi annual basis. But yes, golden handcuffs can lead to institutionalization, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

null_ptr 12y ago
> I don't think being well comped Google, Facebook or Twitter (a friend of mine recv'd $640k in RSU's) is settling for mediocrity. I didn't mean the compensation is mediocre, but the work you're doing. I'm sure a lot of brilliant people choose to stick it out for "just 5 more years" over and over again to get more of that $1MM, rather than go off independently and realize their ideas, or join a modest company that works on fresh things.
- JoachimSchipper 12y ago
  Some of that is true, but making a huge company like Google a tiny bit better adds quite a lot to the world. There is a reason why they pay better than startups...
malandrew 12y ago
While there are a lot of opportunities in those companies where you work on amazing projects that can accrue to you amazing experience, there are also a lot of areas in those companies where the amount of value you are accruing to your experience is less than other opportunities available to you. This is an experience opportunity cost.

ryandrake 12y ago

Even so, that total is about two orders of magnitude over what I've ever seen in my 15+ year career in the tech industry. A MILLION dollars (over 4 years) for employee number 53,862? This can't be real. If so, I suppose this is why I can no longer afford to live in the South Bay. Join Google, buy a house. Not even trying to hide my jealousy!