Friends,
I have a wonderful dilemma regarding my job situation, and I would be very grateful to hear your thoughts, opinions, experiences, and stories.
I am a successful software engineer, looking at leaving my current job. I am entertaining two offers from other companies, and not sure which to choose.
The Google Job
Offer 1 is from the almighty Google (I haven’t received it yet, but I’ve been informed it’s coming). I expect they’ll offer me a salary in the range of $160k to $200k, and stock in the range of $650-$900k, vesting over 4-5 years (which means at least $130k more a year). A fantastic income, obviously.
My biggest concern about Google is the blind allocation: I have no idea what I would be working on. I worry I will be stuck doing something soul-grinding, like optimizing ad selection.
On the other hand, the additional money (stock) would be life changing - over $100k a year, assuming GOOG doesn’t collapse (which, at a P/E of 30, is a real possibility). Two years, college fully funded for my kids. Three years, house paid off. I may hate or love the job, but either way I’ll have gobs more money, and a wonderful financial independence in reach in a few short years.
The Startup Job
Offer 2 is from a moderately scrappy startup, with an exciting product. I have a firm offer of $160k salary, plus 15k stock options. The options are hard to value, since the company is not public, so I discount them to zero, but I suppose there's a slim chance they could be worth in the low six figures.
While startup would “only” pay $160k, its product (a consumer electronic) excites me personally, and its technology is revolutionary. I know and really like the person I would be working for. I would have a chance to make a real difference in the success of the company. I would feel pride in showing people what I worked on. Being in a startup, I would be exposed to more, have more responsibilities. I would learn and grow as an engineer. GOOG will still be there in five years, but this startup opportunity may not be. And if I turns out I hate the startup job, I won’t have the money, but I will at least *know* - I won’t have to wonder if I missed out.
Decision Time
Have you quit or turned down a high paying job? Or have you rejected an exciting opportunity because a boring one paid better? Either way, how did it turn out? Did you regret the decision?
When I am older, will I regret risking my happiness for money, turning down an exciting opportunity out of pure financial greed? What is all this for, if not to work on things that excite you? Or will I regret risking my income for happiness: “buying” job excitement like I might buy an exciting sports car, a terrible investment?
I am grateful for any and all stories, insights, advice, or opinions you have to offer.
For background, I am 32, wife is 33, with a daughter (2) and son (1). I currently have $1mm in stock, $200k in retirement accounts, and a $330k mortgage on a house worth $800k (Silicon Valley real estate!)
(Note: In case there is any doubt, I am sincerely looking for advice, not bragging. I am very lucky, but I am also well aware that there are people reading this who are far more bad-ass than me, in all sorts of ways.)