from Hacker News

Career advice, or something like it

by SchwKatze on 6/20/25, 6:37 PM with 48 comments

• by nine_zeros on 6/20/25, 8:21 PM

  There is some truth to avoiding whiney echo chambers. But these watering holes also give insights into the dirty.

  E.g. Amazon, Meta etc. have terrible work cultures. Their terribleness got exposed via whiney digital watering holes, at scale. This is useful information for anyone considering jobs at these places. Without these insights, you wouldn't know that you are merely being hired to be fired.

  Avoid whiney watering holes but after collecting required information.

• by atomicnumber3 on 6/21/25, 5:39 AM

  I hate whining and complaining. But I still do it a lot. Why? Because I care.

  Let me tell you a story. There was once a company. Things were great. Then ownership changed and things were not. People complained - and rightfully so. But nothing was done about it. So the whiners left. Then it was peaceful again - the only people left were complacent. Then the company died because the problems never got fixed and the owner couldn't figure it out once all the complainers - the people who knew what it should be like - left.

  So, sure, some people are just natural born whiners who will never be happy. But some people just have good taste or instincts and can tell when stuff is broken. I'd say ignore them at your own risk.

  And on the other side of the table - if shit is broken and you don't like it - is OP suggestion we just quit? Well, what about the poor sod who takes our seat next? And what about the next place we join - a seat likely vacated by someone who themselves had had enough? It's the tragedy of the commons. If we all just keep skipping out after 1-3 year stints, just to get a fresh set of problems, well, everywhere is just going to suck.

  I really think this is the most likely reason software engineers will unionize - this realizing that 99% of companies are helmed by incompetent lottery winners and have been coasting on that initial capital/revenue infusion ever since.

• by volkk on 6/20/25, 8:39 PM

  learned this the hard way. got stuck with people in a big company that i thought were "cool" but literally hated tech (this included engineers in the group) and the company which they worked for. Constant complaints, everything bad, etc. I joined a much better company after and made friends with really curious/smart people--my own level of care, curiosity and side projects catapulted. I am a completely different person. Complaining is fun, and super fucking easy. Actually doing something about it is a different beast and I want to be friends with the people that understand the world isn't perfect and want to actively make it better by doing rather than incessantly whining and throwing their hands up in the air.

• by mdavid626 on 6/21/25, 7:46 AM

  It’s 2025. Some websites are still unreadable on mobile. Impossible to even zoom the text.

• by kixiQu on 6/20/25, 11:03 PM

  Generally it behooves one to take Marc Brooker seriously. That said, without invoking my legally protected right to discuss workplace conditions, I think it's fair to say this particular sentiment in this particular moment rings a little hollow.

• by lazyant on 6/20/25, 11:19 PM

  Meh. Be outwardly positive and follow whatever you want to do but the reality is cynical (or you haven't been around much yet).

• by bigcat12345678 on 6/20/25, 11:41 PM

  I think the article is exactly opposite in what people should be doing.

  My advice: avoid positive echo chamber, unless they reveal genuine behind-scene facts.

  Negativity is never a problem, people routinely sacrifice a lot for meaningful objective and reasonable leaders. When they turn negative, it's primarily there isn't a positive feedback loop in the environment.

  But what's really happening now is that people are instinctively sugar-coating their meaningless job to lure outsiders for their own ego or whatever.

• by temp0826 on 6/20/25, 8:25 PM

  I think these watering holes are just called "the IT department". The toxic BOFH vibe should've never caught on.

  </whiny rant>

• by wavemode on 6/20/25, 8:14 PM

  > Every organization and industry has watering holes where the whiners hang out. The cynical. The jaded.

  I wish. I've worked for startups where I would've killed to have such a space, where people actually felt free to criticize the way things were going.

  Toxic positivity is a thing too.

• by OutOfHere on 6/20/25, 9:10 PM

  The article is bad advice because nothing improves without criticism.

  The real problem with criticism is that management doesn't like bad news to be advertised, so they punish those who speak out. As such, it's not wise in the short term to illuminate bad truths if one seeks job security. If one seeks firm security, however, then honestly addressing all criticisms is the way to get there.

  Another observation about criticism is that it can often be falsely mistaken for cynicism.