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Comment by yodsanklai | Hacker News Reader

> I thought we were past the employer loyalty era and more accepting of the harsh reality that everything is profit-driven these days

I think this is my biggest disappointment working for a big tech company. I don't feel I'm "part of the family" at all. Very high turnover, people come and go, some are fired, burn out, or move to another job. I'd love to feel I'm part of something, but it's not the case. Plus most products are very questionable. Very few people do work on something meaningful anyway.

It's all about optimising some metrics. The same way you need to leetcode to get recruited, you're expected to check some boxes once you're in if you want to stay.

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If you feel like a family working for a company, but does not have significant ownership stake, you're being conned.

I'd disagree with that - what's wrong with working for a company that has a good culture, even if you don't have shares?

i.e. shares or not, I'd prefer to work for a company where I felt I was part of it as opposed to one that's just time served.

I think parent is alluding to the fact that "part of the family" is a framing that often serves the interests of the employer. No matter how close you feel to the people managing you, chances are they will not hesitate to lay you off for financial/profitabilty reasons. This is in contrast to how an actual family (whether biological or "found") works where support and belonging is to some extent unconditional.

I wouldn’t say like a family but small teams and companies tend to generate a feeling of being part of an actual social group which is genuine. It’s more about knowing who you are working with and having the feeling you are going in the same direction in a way which is not ephemeral. Large companies tend to feel more disconnected unless you work for a small team.

Having worked at a few mid-sized (50-120) startups for a while, the disappointment there is that many of those same problems exist, just in smaller contexts, and is more personal.

I think it's not so much company size as it is operating in a hot industry during a boom time.

your work is never your family, the sooner in life you figure that out the better off you will be. No matter what employer you have, they will fire you the first instance it is profitable for them to do so. Its a contract, you can take pride in your work, but at the end of the day its a business deal and its about money.

The work is your family if it's a family business. But that presents a whole set of different scenarios.

I disagree. even if you are the owner of the business, or working for someone in your family's business, its still business. full stop.

If you're the owner of the business none of your conditions above would apply; they can't fire you and you're not contracted to it. You can of course have disagreements with the other owners, and it's not good to put your whole life into your personal business as if you were a subsistence farmer.

On the other hand, telling employees they should own part of the business is bad investing advice; if you get shares of a company and you're not already a millionaire you should sell them and buy an index fund. Even if you work there.

when I say 'if you are the owner', I mean if you are the owner, the people who work for you (even if family) are employees, and anything you do in regards to the business should be with that scope. And that should be their scope as well. in terms of the business, its an employee company relationship.

Obviously if you own a business, you are much more vested in its success

a half-decent startup will get rid of low performers faster than a bad habit. You are a part of the family only as long as you keep up, how else can it be?

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