I quit earlier this year and the unreality is huge. I cringed every time minimum wage came up for the last year or more because of the libertarian "they should just get better jobs!" crap that followed, or explanations of how people on low incomes are really making a ton of money off welfare payments. More work-specifically, I was constantly arguing over design decisions that treated bandwidth and connectivity as unlimited. I was in a meeting where someone suggested that since everyone in the room knew how x worked, we could assume it was general knowledge. Some of these people walked out of college 5 or 20 years ago straight into a job making six figures in Redmond, and that's not just all they know, its all they care about.
Also, I agree with his whole section on managers. In my six years there, I officially had maybe 15 managers? Four of them were great and if I went back, it would probably be under one of them. It wouldn't be worth the risk to go back and work for a new manager unless they came highly recommended by a friend. The personality cult effect is still real - I'm even doing it myslef above, but for a high level example look at the people who have followed Terry Myerson for years. I'm not sure I see this as negatively as he does - a good manager is hugely important in making the job worth having, so once you find one, you try and stay with them if it works for you.
That's fair. I guess I'm just lucky in the people I've found to work with. Most seem pretty socially conscious and well aware of how lucky they are to be where they are.
I accidentally skipped the "managers" section. And I completely agree. Of the 5 teams I've worked on there, I've only had one truly great manager and he was a recent hire from outside.
This is especially frustrating for me as a junior engineer. Microsoft has utterly failed to help develop not just myself as a young engineer but most the young people hired with me. What is more, most teams barely take experience into account at all. I've always felt as though I'm expected to operate at the same level as people with 20 years of industry experience.
Also, I agree with his whole section on managers. In my six years there, I officially had maybe 15 managers? Four of them were great and if I went back, it would probably be under one of them. It wouldn't be worth the risk to go back and work for a new manager unless they came highly recommended by a friend. The personality cult effect is still real - I'm even doing it myslef above, but for a high level example look at the people who have followed Terry Myerson for years. I'm not sure I see this as negatively as he does - a good manager is hugely important in making the job worth having, so once you find one, you try and stay with them if it works for you.