I Left at Google - Here's Why

Summary

In this video, the speaker reflects on their decision to leave Google, a company with a market cap surpassing many countries' GDPs, known for its high employee perks and dream-like work environment. Despite Google's prestige and benefits, the speaker cites three main reasons for their departure: the fear of layoffs and subsequent reorganizations, the desire for new challenges and learning opportunities, and the pursuit of better compensation. They share their experience of Google's 20% project, which allows employees to explore other areas of interest, and discuss the impact of organizational size on work pace and learning. The speaker also highlights their new role at DoorDash, emphasizing the company's focus on innovation, technology stack, and the opportunity to work with large-scale data, which aligns with their career aspirations.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Google's market cap is around $2 trillion, placing it in the top 10 countries by GDP.
• 🍽️ Google is renowned for its exceptional employee perks, including free food that surpasses most restaurants and hotels.
• 🏢 The company's offices are described as some of the best in the world, with unique amenities like gaming arcades and rooftop decks.
• 🌐 Google's low acceptance rate of around 2-2.5% makes it more exclusive than prestigious universities like Harvard.
• 👨‍💻 The speaker left Google not to become an influencer or to start courses, but to join DoorDash, a food delivery service.
• 🛑 Google implemented a hiring freeze due to macroeconomic slowdowns, leading to layoffs and reorganizations that impacted employee morale.
• 🔄 Frequent managerial changes at Google reset the speaker's progress, as they had to adapt to new managers every 6 months.
• 💼 The speaker sought new challenges and learning opportunities, feeling that Google's bureaucratic processes hindered rapid growth and innovation.
• 💰 Financial considerations played a role in the decision to leave Google, with the speaker receiving a higher position and compensation at DoorDash.
• 📈 DoorDash offered a more dynamic environment with a focus on innovation and a diverse technology stack, aligning with the speaker's career goals.

Q & A

What is Google's current market cap and how does it compare to global GDPs?

Google's current market cap is around $2 trillion, which places it among the top 10 countries with the highest GDPs.

Why is Google considered a prestigious employer in the software industry?

Google is considered a prestigious employer due to its high market cap, generous perks, and being a dream company for many in the software industry.

What are some of the perks that Google is known for offering its employees?

Google is known for offering perks such as free food, in-office amenities like spas and massages, gyms, cafeterias, and more.

How does the food provided by Google compare to other companies' offerings?

Google's food offering is considered to be on another level compared to other companies, being better than most restaurants or hotels.

What are some unique features of Google's offices around the world?

Google's offices feature unique amenities such as gaming arcades, dedicated bridges between buildings, in-office trams, rooftop decks, and stunning views from cafeterias.

What is the acceptance rate at Google and how does it compare to prestigious universities?

Google has a very low acceptance rate of around 2-2.5%, making it more exclusive than some prestigious universities like Harvard.

Why did the speaker leave Google despite its reputation as an amazing place to work?

The speaker left Google to pursue their passion, which includes teaching and enabling young kids, and not to become a full-time influencer or to launch courses.

What was the speaker's experience with Google's hiring freeze and layoffs?

The speaker experienced a hiring freeze and layoffs at Google, which led to demoralization and reorganizations, impacting their decision to leave.

How does Google's size and scale affect the work environment and employee learning?

Google's size and scale lead to a lot of reviews and approvals, which can slow down the pace of work and potentially hinder employee learning and innovation.

What was the speaker's reason for joining DoorDash after leaving Google?

The speaker joined DoorDash for a level up in position and compensation, the opportunity to work with a large user base and transaction volumes, and the company's focus on innovation and improvement.

What is the significance of the '20% project' at Google and how does it impact employees?

The '20% project' at Google allows employees to spend 20% of their time on projects outside their core work, but it doesn't significantly impact performance reviews, which can limit its effectiveness.