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A few years ago, I too applied for a director role and didn't get it.
I was seriously bummed out by A LOT of the roles i was offered after Facebook. I wanted to step up to bigger, harder challenges. But folks wanted to hire me into repeat roles that i had already done. https://twitter.com/theburningmonk/status/1328498223128981505
A few years ago, I too applied for a director role and didn't get it.
I was seriously bummed out by A LOT of the roles i was offered after Facebook. I wanted to step up to bigger, harder challenges. But folks wanted to hire me into repeat roles that i had already done. https://twitter.com/theburningmonk/status/1328498223128981505
Most of the time it wasn't that big a deal. I couldn't get excited about the roles, but I didn't take it personally.
This director role was different. I was **made** for the job. The team knew and trusted me. I knew exactly how to help them solve their technical problems,
This director role was different. I was **made** for the job. The team knew and trusted me. I knew exactly how to help them solve their technical problems,
yet it had plenty of new and thrilling challenges from my perspective, too. It was a perfect match, tbh.
The founder rejected me by saying, quote, "I just think we're at the stage now where I think we can get the best in the world for these roles."
The founder rejected me by saying, quote, "I just think we're at the stage now where I think we can get the best in the world for these roles."
But, he assured me, he would really love it if I would come be an engineering manager reporting to whoever they ended up hiring into this director role.
He even offered to make an exception for me and let me start as a manager, without "proving myself" as an engineer first.
He even offered to make an exception for me and let me start as a manager, without "proving myself" as an engineer first.
They ended up hiring someone with a long string of $bigco directorship titles under their belt. I kept tabs on them from afar for some time. They wobbled a lot, but eventually got it sorted.
I would have done a better job. Sigh.
I would have done a better job. Sigh.
Anyway. I started honeycomb for lots of reasons, but it would be disingenuous for me to pretend one of them wasn't the fact that my other options ranged from boring and uninspiring to straight up insulting. Missing out on this director role was kind of the last straw.
I've never been one to fixate on titles. But after doing time at a big company, I was more aware than ever before of the ... utility of a title. And I knew I goddamn deserved it. I *knew* if I took the manager gig I would end up doing all the work and getting none of the credit.
Founders, of course, deal with the opposite mechanics. We can call each other whatever the fuck we want, and nobody blinks.
@cyen and i have marveled at this so many times, how unworthy most (all?) founders are of the C-level titles we claim and strut around with, lol.
@cyen and i have marveled at this so many times, how unworthy most (all?) founders are of the C-level titles we claim and strut around with, lol.
It's why I've always been so mistrustful and borderline loathing of the founder industrial complex.
Starting a company is a cheat code for titles. If your venture succeeds -- sometimes even if it doesn't -- you can lever yourself up into a different stratosphere, role-wise.
Starting a company is a cheat code for titles. If your venture succeeds -- sometimes even if it doesn't -- you can lever yourself up into a different stratosphere, role-wise.
