For many, working at a big tech company is the ultimate dream, a chance to be part of the digital revolution, solve complex problems, and, of course, earn a lucrative salary. But the reality of working at some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, such as Google, can be far from glamorous.
In fact, for one former employee, it was a journey marked by burnout, growing frustration, and a shocking decision to leave the tech giant after 12 years.
In a social media post that resonated with many, this former Google employee shared a brutally honest account of his time at the company. “FAANG really kills you… I advise leaving,” he wrote.
What are FAANG companies?
The term “FAANG” refers to five of the most dominant and influential American technology companies: Meta (formerly Facebook), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Alphabet (Google’s parent company).
These companies are giants in their respective industries, controlling vast portions of the global digital economy, social media, e-commerce, entertainment, and digital advertising.
The term itself was coined in 2013 and quickly became synonymous with innovation, profitability, and power.
Why did he resign?
For the former Google employee, the bright promise of Silicon Valley eventually gave way to a heavy sense of dissatisfaction.
There was a deepening frustration with the increasing layers of bureaucracy and internal politics that made day-to-day work increasingly difficult.
“There were more approvals for simple things, more managers, and way less time actually building things that matter,” he wrote.
Regardless of the high salary and perks, the stress of navigating such a complex environment began to take a toll on his well-being.
“My blood pressure, which was high, has dropped. I’m sleeping better, and I actually have time and energy to work out and do things for me,” he shared. What started as an exciting journey in tech had turned into an all-consuming grind.
Smaller company but less stress
After leaving Google earlier this year, the employee admitted he was too burned out to even think about finding a new job.
But as the months passed, he found a role at a smaller company, one with fewer layers of management, less internal competition, and a much healthier work environment.
“The difference has been night and day,” he said, adding that the quality of his life improved almost immediately.
“I’ve got time for myself now, time to work out, to sleep better, and just to relax,” he explained.
“The switch wasn’t without sacrifices, though. He took a significant pay cut, losing more than $100,000 in salary. But for him, the trade-off was worth it. “I took a pretty big pay cut, but now that I know what a normal job feels like, I’d trade it again,” he said.
‘Faangers make money and still complain alot’
Netizens posted their opinion on the post. A user noted, “Faangers make money and still complain alot.” Another added, “You benefited off a 10 year market run, you can afford to trade WLB because you’re sitting on tons of vested RSU, spare us the preaching.”
“Google gave you the money to be able to step back to expenses and still be set for life on your portfolio. If you went back in time, would you advise never working for Google at all?,” questioned a netizen. “So you quit because you’re not strong enough to keep up. Noted,” wrote a user.
“Normal jobs are chill. Tech jobs are a huge bubble of insane stress due to h1b, etc,” claimed a user. “I’m sorry, I can’t read your post because it’s written behind your giant pile of money,” claimed another.
(This story is based on a post shared by a social media user. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.)