Politics

As companies scale, politics become inevitable - Big Tech companies are no exception. While these environments offer great compensation and talent density, navigating organizational complexity and interpersonal dynamics becomes a critical part of engineering success.

• Politics Are Inevitable in Large Orgs: As tech companies grow, layers of leadership and cross-functional dependencies make decision-making complex. Engineers must often align with numerous stakeholders, especially when aiming for senior or staff roles.
• Shipping Requires Consensus-Building: Even seemingly minor changes can require significant internal negotiation. One example cited involved a six-month project to enlarge a button being blocked just before launch due to last-minute leadership disagreement.
• People Over Code: The technical work is often less challenging than influencing and winning over colleagues who may disagree or have competing priorities.
• Burnout from Frustrated Efforts: Senior engineers can burn out after investing months into initiatives that get shut down due to misaligned incentives or lack of political foresight.
• Success Requires “Playing the Game”: Engineers who are averse to navigating internal politics may struggle, especially in high-visibility roles. Building relationships proactively is often essential for seeing projects through.