[Taro Classic] Understand How You're Paid In Tech And Make More Money
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Let's be real: A big reason people become software engineers is because they're paid well (and this is totally okay!). The tricky part about this phenomenon is that it comes with a strange first world problem - Tech compensation is incredibly confusing, especially in Silicon Valley where so many engineers receive a meaningful amount of equity.
This is a problem with real stakes; if you don't understand how all the different components of tech pay works, you can easily miss out on hundreds of thousands or even million of dollars. After going through this course, you will:
- 🧩 Understand the major components of tech pay and which parts really matter, especially for top companies like FAANG (hint: it’s not salary)
- 💰 See the different cash compensation options tech companies can offer
- 📊 Know what a stock option actually is (not just what the TV shows and movies make it out to be) alongside equity overall
- 📈 Have a high-level strategy on how to maximize your tech pay across a long-term career horizon
- 🤝 Negotiate your offers with confidence
The proof is in the pudding for both Alex Chiou and Rahul Pandey when it comes to the success of their careers - Both of them were paid ~$800k per year before quitting their jobs to start Taro.
Alex Chiou: Alex worked for 4 very different companies with PayPal, Course Hero, Meta, and Robinhood, getting exposure to the many tech pay mechanisms across each of them. At PayPal, he had an ESPP. At Course Hero (Series A at the time), he dealt with stock options. At Meta, his compensation became mostly RSUs. At Robinhood, he got to experience his first IPO.
Rahul Pandey: Rahul has ample experience with RSUs from his time at Pinterest and Meta, finding so much career success that he once ended up with a 6-figure tax bill. However, Rahul went through a very unique financial experience very few engineers go through - An acquisition! Rahul's first company was Kosei, a startup that ended up being acquired by Pinterest. Rahul actually breaks down the financial ramifications of that experience in this course.
