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Comment by throwaway93749 | Hacker News Reader

In my case, getting hired by one of the Big Four tech companies.

Always was a high performer, but didn't feel satisfied at other companies. I felt I was worth much more than what I was getting paid. I needed the validation and at least the perception of being with the best. I kept pushing my application since it felt daunting and I had failed Google once. I also made up excuses why a big tech company isn't worth it anyway, and that I shouldn't have to go through whiteboarding. But I'm much, much happier now. Glad I gave it a shot.

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How did you overcome the 'I shouldn't have to go through whiteboarding' problem?

The riddles, and the whiteboards, are why I turn down all big 4 recruiter emails.

Power through it? You only have to do it once (or four times if you respond to all four), it takes one day and it's not that hard. There are way worse and fruitless ways to spend a day that we do routinely.

For a lot of skilled engineers with cushy jobs, not going for whiteboard is matter of principle.

I understand, but the question was on how to overcome the unwillingness. I don't see any other way to overcome it than 'just do it'. It is not a physical addiction or a condition and bears no ill effects other than lost time and maybe some pride?

What are the big 4 tech companies? I’ve heard that in accounting, but I don’t know which 4 they would be in tech.

(F)acebook, (A)mazon, (N)etflix, (G)oogle.

A is not Amazon, it's Apple.

Amazon does not have the same technical hurdle as the others.

> AWS

There are 2 As in FAANG.

Microsoft and Apple each have over twenty times more employees than Netflix. I've never understood why Netflix is included, in FAANG, etc.

FANG was coined to characterize a sliver of the stock market. It's all about the returns those stocks were producing over a period of time, and how they frequently traded together.

It has basically nothing to do with: revenues, profits, employees, products, technology.

It's at least 90% because it makes the acronym work.

There's actually 5: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft

I normally see FAANG for Facebook Apple Amazon Netflix and Google. Not sure how to work Microsoft in there - maybe MAFANG or FANMAG or some such.

Netflix is one side business for Amazon and they rely on AWS for hosting. Why put them in the group?

It was originally used as a label for high performing tech companies from an investor's perspective[0], and from there adopted by software engineers and other employees who work or aspire to work for those companies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook,_Apple,_Amazon,_Netfl...

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