The Most Misunderstood Part Of Tech Pay - Stock Options

This segment unpacks **stock options**, a type of equity compensation typically offered by startups rather than large public tech companies. It contrasts stock options with RSUs and explains how options function, including taxation and risk.

- **What Stock Options Are:** A stock option gives the right to purchase company shares at a predetermined price (the “strike price”). These are common in startups but rare in large public companies like Google or Facebook.
- **Grant and Vesting Mechanics:** Similar to RSUs, options usually vest over four years with a one-year cliff. The total grant allows employees to buy a fixed number of shares—often a large number—at a low strike price.
- **Value and Risk:** The value of stock options depends on the company’s success. While paper valuations can be high, employees must actually buy the shares (unlike RSUs, which are granted). If the company never goes public, the options might end up worthless.
- **Types of Stock Options:**
  - **ISOs (Incentive Stock Options):** Taxed only upon sale, usually favorable for employees.

  - **NSOs (Non-qualified Stock Options):** Taxed at the time of exercising and again at sale, even if the shares haven't yet generated real money—making them riskier.
- **Tax Implications:** With NSOs, employees may owe taxes just for exercising the option (based on fair market value), creating potential financial burden even before any profit is realized.

This complexity and risk/reward profile is a key difference from the more predictable RSU structure in big tech compensation packages.

DSA Interview Step #2: Figure Out Your Overall Strategy

Related resources:
- [[Taro Top 10] Effective Interview Prep](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/HLBYxJI7D1j8STolrwum/)
- [[Taro Top 10] Finding A Tech Job](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/E6R0wVJ5EyCfVnVrlfno/)

15 SWE Years In 1.5 Hours [Part 4] - Debugging

No matter how careful you are as a software engineer, your code will always have bugs. On top of that, you will also need to spend time fixing bugs in code written by other people. This lesson teaches you:

- Why debugging is always a valuable skill (while feature development often isn't)
- How debugging forces you to develop a deeper understanding of the system
- The framework and process you need to understand in order to fix any bug

DSA Crash Course [Part 8] - Anagrams Approach

In this lesson, Alvin explores the strategy to solving the following interview problem:

> Write a function, *anagrams*, that takes in two strings as arguments. The function should return a boolean indicating whether or not the strings are anagrams. Anagrams are strings that contain the same characters, but in any order.

```
anagrams('restful', 'fluster') # -> True
```

```
anagrams('cats', 'tocs') # -> False
```

```
anagrams('monkeyswrite', 'newyorktimes') # -> True
```

```
anagrams('paper', 'reapa') # -> False
```

If you need additional support taking these DSA skills and actually applying them, take [**Alvin's**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/) *complete* data structures and algorithms course on [**Structy**](https://structy.net/?utm_source=taro). You can try out the concepts yourself in their interactive code editor and learn advanced DSA patterns like stack exhaustive recursion.

Use [**this link to get 20% off**](https://structy.net/purchase?promo_code=taro20) the entire Structy DSA learning experience.

Follow Alvin on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/>

Master The DSA Interview [Part 28] - Don't Forget: Other Interview Types Exist

Data structures and algorithms are a core part of the software engineering interview loop, but it's important to remember that there are other critical interview types as well, including for FAANG. This lesson teaches you:

- How many engineers who completely fail their Big Tech interview actually did well on the data structures and algorithms portion, wasting all of their LeetCode grind
- How the amount of time you spend on data structures and algorithms preparation will vary based on the types of interviews you have
- How the amount of time you spend on data structures and algorithms preparation will vary based on your level
- General attributes to use to calculate the amount of time you need to allocate to data structures and algorithms

Please ask your recruiter what's going to be on your interviews. Don't be afraid to be a bit aggressive and don't be shy. Follow the advice here: <https://www.jointaro.com/course/ace-your-tech-interview-and-get-a-job-as-a-software-engineer/talk-to-your-recruiter/>

Master the behavioral interview with this course: [Master The Behavioral Interview As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/master-the-behavioral-interview-as-a-software-engineer/)

Master the system design interview with this course: [The Top Ways People Fail System Design Interviews](https://www.jointaro.com/course/the-top-ways-people-fail-system-design-interviews/)

Master The DSA Interview [Part 22] - The #1 Tool For DSA Prep

As a mainstay of the software engineering industry for 15+ years, data structures and algorithms have more than their fair share of online resources to help you learn it. This lesson teaches you:

- The #1, time-tested resource to learn data structures and algorithms
- The trap many engineers fall into when learning data structures and algorithms when it comes to tool selection
- How to organically expand LeetCode into the rest of your learning tree
- What to do when you get a FAANG interview

If you're interested in NeetCode, you get a discount on it with your Taro Premium membership. Redeem it here by using code TARO at checkout: <https://neetcode.io/pro?utm_source=taro>

Engineering Management Made Easy: The ABCs for First-Time Managers

How to avoid burnout, enjoy being a manager, and multiply your team’s efforts.

I will share mistakes that I made when I first became an Engineering Manager and what I learned from those, followed by Q & A.

Connect with Umang on LinkedIn: [**https://www.linkedin.com/in/umangv/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/umangv/)

Become An Open Source Master [Part 3] - What Is Open Source?

We'll start with an introduction to open source, which encompasses not just software but also data, education, standards, hardware, and access.

- Open-source software is released under a license that allows users to use, study, change, and distribute it for any purpose.
- There are various open source licenses with different levels of permissiveness, but for this course, we'll focus on projects under the MIT license.
- Open-source code empowers users to study and adapt software to their needs, similar to how user scripts or custom style sheets modify websites.
- You can learn from open-source projects like React to understand how companies build complex systems.
- If you make changes, you can fork the project or submit your changes back to the original project through a pull request.

Connect with James: 

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 19] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Take the related courses:

- [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [Ask Great Questions That Get Great Answers Quickly](https://www.jointaro.com/course/ask-great-questions-that-get-great-answers-quickly/)
- [Become The Go-To Expert As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/become-the-go-to-expert-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/)

[Become A Go-To Person 3/18] Jordan's Story (Imposter Syndrome)

Dealing with imposter syndrome and getting to the senior level.

A course by [Jordan Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/), Senior Software Engineer at Pinterest and Author of the [High Growth Engineer Newsletter](https://read.highgrowthengineer.com/)

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 19] - Eat The Frog

The first couple hours after you start work are absolutely crucial - Unfortunately many software engineers waste this crucial time, working on the wrong type of tasks. This lesson teaches you:

- What it means to eat the frog (don't worry, it doesn't involve any actual eating or 🐸s)
- Why eating the frog is so important
- The difference between junk food tasks and core tasks

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 15] - Live And Breathe Quality

One of the biggest myths in the tech industry is that in order to move incredibly fast, you need to sacrifice quality and do a mediocre job. This lesson teaches you:

- The dangers of cutting corners when it comes to engineering work
- Why having high code quality leads to you landing code faster
- Different ways for you to weave quality into your work for an immediate positive return on investment for your time

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 12] - Just 1 Thing

As a software engineer, it is incredibly easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of tasks on your plate. This lesson teaches you:

- What you need to do every single day to give yourself the gift of focus and be productive
- What to do if you absolutely need to get multiple major tasks done in a day
- How to enforce your focus on your singular task by systematizing it

Grow From Mid-Level To Senior Engineer [Part 11] - Debugging

Debugging is one of the most important skills every software engineer needs to develop. Despite this, many software engineers see bugs as a source of frustration instead of opportunity. This lesson teaches you:

- The mindset shift that has to happen when a mid-level engineer grows to senior engineer when it comes to bugs, particularly large production outages
- How senior engineers solve different types of bugs of a broader scope compared to mid-level engineers

To get better at debugging, check out: [\[Masterclass\] How To Become A Debugging Master And Fix Issues Faster](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/ioR6WzamAIUTpySLAr7o/masterclass-how-to-become-a-debugging-master-and-fix-issues-faster/)

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 19] - Cultural Values

Culture fit is real. A lot of tech companies have toxic culture and don't vet for it properly, but that doesn't change the fact that culture fit is extremely important to running a healthy engineering organization. This lesson teaches you:

- Why cultural values are important
- What you should do to effectively study and internalize the cultural values of a company you are interviewing with
- How to weave a company's cultural values into your behavioral interview answers through an example with Alex for his Meta interview

If you're curious as to how Meta's engineering culture works: ["Is sprint planning and agile not a thing at Meta?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/tB7borE2AWb1KcuFEcon/is-sprint-planning-and-agile-not-a-thing-at-meta/)

From "Meets Most" to "Greatly Exceeds" in 3 Months at Facebook

Imagine pouring your heart and soul into your work, only to be met with criticism instead of commendation. This scenario is all too familiar for many engineers who, despite their hard work, find themselves at odds with their manager's expectations due to a misalignment with business priorities. My own journey at Facebook serves as a testament to this common predicament. Tasked with two major projects, I found myself at a critical juncture halfway through, being told my efforts were not meeting expectations.

I was not always doing exceptional at Facebook, but this time I knew that I was not below the "meets expectation" mark. I had been there before, but this time was not it.

Learn more about ratings at Facebook (aka Meta): <https://www.jointaro.com/topic/meta/performance-review/>

Despite knowing that, the assessment of the manager was a bitter pill to swallow, leaving me furious and speechless. However, it also marked the beginning of a transformative journey. I ventured into realms that many engineers shy away from, embracing principles that I previously overlooked. This shift in behavior and perception propelled me from being perceived as merely meeting most expectations to greatly exceeding them, achieving a rating leap that not only vindicated my efforts but also significantly enhanced my bonus.

In this seminar, I aim to share the insights and strategies that catalyzed my dramatic turnaround. I will delve into how a recalibration of focus and an embrace of broader impact can elevate your work from good to exceptional. Additionally, I will touch on the crucial balance between maintaining stellar job performance and navigating a job search. This balance is critical for ensuring you are not cornered should your job search extend longer than anticipated. Join me as I unravel the nuances of achieving long-term career satisfaction through sustained excellence and strategic job search efforts.

Check out these resources for additional deep insights into performance review:

- [\[Masterclass\] How To Navigate Your Performance Review In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/b0B8uqIAUnBLE10jJHJG/masterclass-how-to-navigate-your-performance-review-in-tech/)
- [\[Masterclass\] How To Work Better With Your Engineering Manager](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/2PbJb2fuqF3iMHy57eEg/masterclass-how-to-work-better-with-your-engineering-manager/)

Presented by Yogi Sharma: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/yogi1/>

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 6] - An Easy Way To Understand The Next Level

What does it actually take to get promoted? A lot of software engineers are overwhelmed with all the possible ways to grow, which ultimately leads to inaction. This lesson teaches you:

- A straightforward mental framework to understand why you aren't at the next level yet
- Questions you can ask yourself to identify gaps in your behavior to level up

Pass On Your Onboarding Knowledge

After you've completed onboarding, one immediate value you can create is making life easier for the next person. Improve the onboarding process, support more junior engineers, and continue building relationships.

Onboarding is fundamentally about building trust. (Remember the [trust meter from the beginning of the course](https://www.jointaro.com/course/the-complete-onboarding-guide-for-software-engineers-succeeding-when-youre-new/why-onboarding-matters/)?) Trust is the currency through which you grow your career, and you’re always gaining or losing trust. Trust is how you get influence, which is essential for further career growth.

How To Know If You’re Doing Well

Your goal while onboarding is to connect your work to the bigger picture of what your team/org/company is working on, and build your own ideas around priorities.

**Signs that you're helping people**:

- Are you adding value? Are you able to help people newer than you?

- Are you able to improve the onboarding process and get feedback from coworkers about the changes you're making?

- Are you able to understand and contribute to code reviews?

**Signs that you're not doing well**: 

- You're not engaging with people on the team
- You're not getting assigned any work of value, even when you propose ideas
- You need constant support for the work you're doing

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 8] - Interviewing While Employed

Finding a job as a software engineer is, in and of itself, practically a full-time job. But should you quit to actually treat it like an entire job? This video teaches you:

- Why currently being employed is usually the best time to find a new job
- The counterintuitive way that having a job boosts your interview performance when searching for another job
- How to find the time to do interview preparation when you're juggling a current job, including emergency levers
- The framework you should apply to determine if you should quit your current job for the job search grind

Tech Career Growth Videos

Our instructional videos provide software engineers with insights needed for career growth. Masterclasses go incredibly in-depth on a specific tech topic while case studies are real examples from established engineering leaders.