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Comment by lsc | Hacker News Reader

I agree with you that money isn't everything, and money, if it's just a little, like 10% or something probably doesn't matter much at all for the vast majority of the people.

I do wonder, though, what would happen if microsoft decided to start offering top search engineers from google twice what they are currently getting.

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I think they would stay at Google (in its current state). Google is getting big but is still not as big as Microsoft (political). Google has more data (I would imagine that is something search folks want more of). Google seems to be the best environment for top search engineers for a variety of reason. My guess is that the top search folks (along with others in the top of their field) get to choose where they work and what they get paid because they are at the top of their game. So if Microsoft is where they wanted to be they would already be here. If it is where they want to be and they are not shame on us for not recognizing that.

maybe you are right; but personally, one of the big reasons I started my own business was that I saw really, really good people only made 20%-50% more than absolute mediocres, when they were 10-20 times more productive.

If it were possible to make big bucks without starting your own company would I have continued to work for others? maybe.

The thing is, some people say "Once I have enough, it doesn't matter" and certainly, the $100K/year that your average bay area computer person makes is 'enough' to live on... but double that and you will be able to retire in less than half the time. Retire and work on your own terms, if you like.

For me, that is what getting more money is about. I don't really care about having a nicer car or anything, but it sure would be nice to be able to, say, take a year off and travel, and not worry about what employers would think about the year-long gap in my resume.

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