This is the third post of the Mayfield + DEV Discussion series. Please feel free to go back and answer previous questions as well.
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I'm biased, but this is how I see it
Spotify
I've been working here for many years so I know it's an awesome place, for so many reasons! So much smart people, diversity, many opportunities to grow, awesome product and the list goes on ๐
Google
Known for solving hard technical problems. Super smart people. Offices and perks seem amazing. Most likely you'll be solving interesting problems no matter where you end up.
Apple
Known for making high quality products (been using Macs for +10 years). Always thinking outside the box.
Evil companies (won't say names) might also be good for a developer, but knowing that you work for a company that improves the world (rather than the opposite) should not be underestimated.
I always see currently and former employees of Spotify saying good things about the company, that's so nice to see in big companies. Can't say the same about google e.g
Yeah, your well-being as an individual is highly prioritized at Spotify. It's hard finding reasons to change company, basically!
Too bad about Google. I always thought they had good culture there.
Ahem :)
๐
Very true!
I wonder if everyone's automatic replies are going to be the Really Big well-known tech companies.
I've worked for "big" companies but always as part of a small (+-100 people) subsidiary rather than directly. Usually we're the only part that has anything to do with software development and we got bought as part of some kind of package deal. So I don't have any experience.
I do have friends who work for Big Tech. Most of them talk about how great it is for their careers, how much money they make, etc., and most of them are really unhappy people, for one reason or another.
I've often thought that when people say they worked for, say, Facebook, well so do a gazillion other people. And you can't all be doing good, interesting work. I'll bet (again, no experience...) that I'd get shoehorned into doing something mind-bendingly boring that was either destined to never see the light of day or was going to be incorporated into something unethical.
I'm going to say that I think the best companies to work for are small places with big ideas, who want to add something to the world, where you get to work on a single project with a group of similar-minded people.
That's not what I do, of course; I work in an advertising agency making websites and back-office products for multiple random clients. To be honest, that's not as bad as its reputation suggests - agency life is fine unless you work for a terrible agency (this time I have experience...!) and the rumours about working you to the bone are generally just talk. What's good about it is that you get to work on lots of different projects, you get busy times and slow times and it's not all one homogeneous blob of a career.
People always seem to leave Forem and dev.to on good terms and have good things to say so that is two for the list ๐
And I may be biased but daily.dev is another level on how they treat the team.
So there you go, 3 very biased company suggestions for you ๐คฃ
The best companies to work for are the ones you won't have heard of.
Simple as that.
Ive worked for some bigger names (which is all relative of course) and I had a 10x better experience at startups and smaller orgs
Any good company looks good seems extremely hard to get in. Should it be considered when you think about what is a good place to work?
Even considering that, I would like to work at google for the sake of solving the hardest possible technical problems.
For the other two spots anything that is not too evil and is not afraid of refactoring or trying new things is fine really.
Ah, as outsider looking in from the interactions I have had people respond like they are different teams, good to know...guess that is 2 suggestions so Docker is my third in that case!
Interesting read. You worked for all 3?
Based on what I have seen over the internet -
Based on what people from my bubble say:
Well, from what I've read and videos I've watched on Youtube, I would say the top three companies to work as a developer are Google, Apple and Zappos.
GitHub
Discord
Twitch
Netflix Netflix and Netflix
I'll throw out my top three:
Very different, but all seem like really fascinating eng orgs that would make for exciting challenges.