Why I left a $400K job at Netflix to join a startup
Co-founder @ Stealth · Ex-Netflix
This is the story of why I walked away from one of the highest-paying engineering positions in the industry.
At Netflix, I had everything: great comp, amazing colleagues, interesting problems. But I felt like a small cog in a massive machine.
The startup offered me 1/3 of the cash but a meaningful equity stake and the chance to build something from zero. It was terrifying.
The best career decisions feel uncomfortable in the moment and obvious in retrospect.
Six months in, I'm working harder than ever but I've never been more fulfilled. I'm making decisions that matter, shipping features daily, and learning at 10x the pace.
Comments (12)
This is exactly what I needed. The part about communication being more important than the perfect design really resonated with me.
Just passed my system design round using these tips. The requirements clarification step saved me from going down the wrong path.
Thanks everyone! Happy to answer any follow-up questions about the process.
Absolutely go for it! The worst case is you get great practice. I failed my first attempt and learned a ton from it.
The tip about explaining designs to non-technical friends is gold. I started doing this and my communication improved dramatically.
I'd add one more thing: always discuss monitoring and observability. Interviewers love when you think about production readiness.
How long did you spend on each mock interview session? I find it hard to simulate the real pressure.
Sharing this with all my mentees. Concise and actionable — exactly what interview prep content should be.