What is the single software company that you most want to work for? Why?
views:
3282answers:
58
+21
A:
FogCreek (Joel, are you listening?)
- Brilliant guys
- Fantastic work
- Excellent job conditions
- Small company
- Incredible city... I <3 NY
Definitely, a place for people like me :)
Daniel Silveira
2008-09-26 18:23:55
My I suggest http://jobs.joelonsoftware.com/ instead of SO?
Lars Truijens
2008-09-26 18:29:52
I don't usually vote down, but "Joel, are you listening?" is too much for me. -1
Pablo Fernandez
2008-09-26 18:32:04
+48
A:
Google
Every picture that I saw and every thing that I read about it seem a dream.
Mister Dev
2008-09-26 18:25:30
my brother works for google, and it's every bit as wonderful as you would think, which leads me to the conclusion that they are going to lull us into a false sense of security and take over the world in one fell swoop
Owen
2008-09-26 18:31:25
Might... until the powers of Google get replaced and they become the next overlord monopoly who would then have complete control over all our data. Nothing against Google... I'm just sayin it's worth thinking about.
Wes P
2008-09-27 01:37:47
There was a day when I would have said Google. But I just don't trust them anymore. I think evil has finally achieved a beachhead over there. It was bound to happen eventually, especially for a company that makes its living off marketing.
JohnFx
2010-01-22 07:33:57
Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Google's obligation to protect people's privacy: "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."
JohnFx
2010-01-22 15:46:15
Yeah, it sounds great until you realize they're Agile. Goodbye, productivity.
tsilb
2010-01-30 20:26:39
+104
A:
My own company. (For what I would assume are obvious reasons.)
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-09-26 18:26:03
Running your own company is by far more stressful and time consuming, but a lot more rewarding, because every small success that is short lived at a company you just work for, is a huge success to you as an owner. I guess it is a larger feeling of creation.
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-09-26 18:37:39
Being a salaried employee without a bonus structure, it's kind of tough for me to get excited when my current employer does well. I keep thinking how exciting these things would be if it was my own company.
polara
2008-09-26 19:12:13
@polara: Just remember, with the good comes the bad. Often a lot more bad than good.
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-09-26 20:21:46
if you own the company, you only have to work a half-day - and you get to choose whether it's the first 12 hours or the 2nd 12 hours ;-)
Steven A. Lowe
2008-10-20 20:25:43
@Steven: Good one. But only 12 hours? I will trade with you any day!
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-10-22 11:11:54
If I owned my own company, I sure as hell wouldn't be doing all the work. I read "EMyth Revisited" which is why I don't own my own company - yet.
Jeff O
2009-02-17 21:50:33
+24
A:
Microsoft because they have been around for a long time and the Redmond building looks like it would be amazing to work at.
Pokus
2008-09-26 18:26:25
+2
A:
Second Google because of the fantastic talks I've seen at Google Developer Day 2007 and GDD 2008.
Rob Wells
2008-09-26 18:26:36
+1
A:
Some NGO. Non-commercial work without annoying customers that actually makes a difference besides on my bank account must be great.
xmjx
2008-09-26 18:27:30
This isn`t interely true, actually. You have to take crap from customers in that case.
Daniel Silveira
2008-09-26 18:29:49
Indeed. Running your own company is not easier at all. But a lot more rewarding IMO.
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-09-26 18:34:25
Not only do you take crap from the customers, but from the other employees also. Unless you plan on running a one man show the whole time.
Kibbee
2008-09-28 10:20:52
You are responsible for everything, so you take crap from customers, your employees, and take crap for the crap your employees do. On the other hand, if your good and lucky, you take a lot of good things too.
Artur Carvalho
2008-10-18 13:11:57
you do have the freedom to fire people that annoy you, including customers...
Steven A. Lowe
2008-10-20 20:27:59
Yep, Although is not easy nevertheless. Even if you are your own boss, your client also become your new boss...
Alex. S.
2009-03-03 21:53:19
Atleast you are rewarded more when running your own, even if you have take crap
DotnetDude
2009-03-21 02:20:10
I have my own software company, and it is good. However the reality is that I now have LOTS of bosses, some of whom are even more important than a normal boss would be since I have more to lose now. However... There have been a few really bad clients who weren't that important, and I have indeed been known to tell them to get lost. :)
Brian MacKay
2010-06-30 18:30:08
+5
A:
Not a specific company per se, but I'd love to work in an Open Source lab somewhere.
Steve Baker
2008-09-26 18:28:04
+6
A:
I would like to work for the company that I currently work for because I don't want to get fired for saying that I would like to work for Google or start my own company.
fiveprime
2008-09-26 18:28:11
+1
A:
Google - unlimited chocolate, good food.
The best out of many other excellent reasons.
Vincent McNabb
2008-09-26 18:29:17
Unlimited chocolate | really fast metabolism == slim waist lineBut arteries will still get hammered, it's just not visible to the outside user.
Vincent McNabb
2008-09-30 00:05:08
+16
A:
37 Signals. Because they wrote the book on smarter, more agile software development. Literally.
Nick Sergeant
2008-09-26 18:30:04
+2
A:
I would love to remain self-employed.
I have waaaayyyy too many interests to just stick to just one place. Provided you can build up your own revenue stream (i.e. a stackoverflow type of business) where the cash comes in and you can pursue your own interests, that would be a dream come true.
Imagine working on game programming one day, then working on your own compiler the next, then the day after some peer-to-peer client, then the day after hacking into the email accounts of bible thumping alaskan governors. Rinse, repeat. Never get bored, always learning something new.
True, you will miss out on the human interaction, but as we get more and more networked and video conferencing gets better, this becomes less of an issue.
eviljack
2008-09-26 18:32:25
You still have to find someone *willing* to video conference with you.
JavadocMD
2008-09-26 19:08:24
+6
A:
Google - There's something about working and being around educated people that brings out the best in me. I love to learn and having 20% of my time available to work on pet projects in addition to being able to work with the rest of the staff is icing on the cake.
Lando
2008-09-26 18:42:55
Chris Ballance
2008-09-26 19:39:48
+33
A:
The Umbrella Corporation
...because I want to make zombies.
Chris Pietschmann
2008-09-26 18:50:02
Also you need a dose of self-preservation. They treat their employees like crap!
torial
2008-09-26 19:27:19
Seriously. I've known people who work there... and heard the stories. I'd stay away from them.
Leanan
2008-09-26 19:43:30
Joel's book includes a great chapter written by ea_spouse. It may change your mind.
Richard Morgan
2008-09-26 19:57:10
+4
A:
Rockstar Games. They look like they have some serious fun.
Geoffrey Chetwood
2008-09-26 18:54:39
+3
A:
I'd like to work for USAA. Although not a "Software Company" they do a lot of in house stuff. They are a financially strong company, consistently rated one of the top employers and San Antonio seems like a nice place to live and work.
D.S.
2008-09-26 18:56:15
I used to work there, way back in the late 1990s. It was an amazing place to work. I miss my friends there.
Robert S.
2008-09-26 18:59:21
What kind of language they use? I`ve heard they use a lot of PowerBuilder. Is it true?
Daniel Silveira
2008-09-26 19:15:48
What is USAA? I visited the web site but I couldn't really tell what/who they are, beyond financial services.
erickson
2008-09-26 21:44:00
@erickson USAA is an insurance and financial services company for current and former members of the US military (and I think their families).
John Meagher
2008-09-27 00:28:59
@John Meagher Yes, they have a bank (i think anyone can belong to) and the insurance and other services are for service members/verterans.@Daniel Silveira From the job listings, it looks like alot of J2EE.
D.S.
2008-09-29 18:05:28
Definitely. How cool would it be to tell people you made StarCraft or Diablo II? Instead of "I get stuff out of databases, edit it, and put it back." :(
Kyralessa
2008-10-07 17:54:53
I'm surprised more people haven't said game companies. Sometimes I wish I had learned other programming languages in college and didn't hate Physics!
Lisa
2008-12-19 15:57:17
I get the sense that game programmers get worked to the bone... but I'm really curious about a game studio that has released nothing but instant classic titles, year after year.
ojrac
2009-03-03 22:13:50
A:
Rockstar North, they make great games and are based in Scotland. Perfect for me!
Scottm
2008-09-26 19:02:15
+2
A:
Sierra On-Line, circa 1990. That, or Infocom in the mid 80s. However, since I missed those two boats, I guess I'll take what I can get without having to move from Sacramento to the greater Bay Area. (Not a San Jose fan, personally.)
Electrons_Ahoy
2008-09-26 19:05:22
+69
A:
Jeez are you guys real programmers?
I would rather not work. I'm lazy by nature.
chrissie1
2008-09-26 19:07:03
LOL! We are programmers because we are too lazy to do anything else. :p
hectorsosajr
2008-09-26 23:59:06
I code, therefore I eat... find a way for me to eat (well) without working and I'll do it.
dacracot
2008-09-27 15:37:35
...because anyone who is good at something automatically loves doing it 8 hours per day. Bah, whatever.
Beska
2009-03-03 22:00:20
+15
A:
Stretching the definition of "software company" here, but I'd say Pixar.
Raelshark
2008-09-26 19:29:32
Not stretching the definition **that** much - most animation houses have in-house programmers who write custom tools, shaders, etc.
Sherm Pendley
2008-10-20 20:24:58
Not a stretch at all. For every film, Pixar has to solve new technical challenges, and it takes programmers (among others) to do that. I'd love to work for Pixar.
Kyralessa
2009-05-30 03:14:45
+18
A:
A company where I can make a major difference (my current company falls into this category) - sounds like a cliche, but very true for me. I don't really want freebies or food or huge benefits (although that all is nice), all I want is to be able to influence things, and be satisfied at the end of the day that I did.
alps123
2008-09-26 19:30:34
+24
A:
id. The opportunity to work with/learn from Carmack would be incredible.
hunterjrj
2008-09-26 19:36:08
His code is notoriously opaque -- randomly breaking out into bursts of assembly. I think he's one of the most impressive figures in programming, but I'd worry that I could never keep up with him well enough to learn.
ojrac
2009-03-03 22:02:01
+9
A:
Valve. For me it's the best. But i can't, they're in the US, and i'm not going to live in the US.
unkiwii
2008-09-26 19:47:05
I'm going to be 1 floor above Valves office later today, I'll stop in and tell them to move out of the US.
FlySwat
2008-09-26 20:13:01
And, do also ask them if GLaDOS is making a appearance in Episode 3? :D
Adhip Gupta
2008-09-26 21:52:50
That's a good point. Lots of the companies mentioned here are in the USA. Maybe I (we?) are making a big deal out of things, but I don't feel like travelling there either.
Shtééf
2010-01-04 09:06:12
A:
Any company that's inventive enough to strangle their software with miserable short-sighted DRM limitations that annihilate the user experience.
As short-lived as my tenure would be, I would become an pillar of internal opposition to these ideas.
(Adobe really crapped on my respect for them when I couldn't install CS3 after having been a part of the CS3 Beta)
Pete Karl II
2008-09-26 19:51:45
A:
Namco, Midway or maybe Activision, in the late 70's and early 80's.
Today? Google, or anyone else with the foresight to implement their 80/20 work policy.
Failing that, I'd happily settle for any company based in The Netherlands :)
Jerry
2008-09-26 20:09:38
+3
A:
I'd like to work for my own company that provides consulting / products (yes both), and uses the profits to train Haitians (they have an 80% unemployment rate) to program, and then use the profits from such endeavors to feed into more training of Haitians until that 80% unemployment rate is far less :-D
Why - Because it would be an opportunity to help people living in destitution, and I know some people there who would be able to help with such an endeavor.
torial
2008-09-26 20:26:12
not to be a party pooper, but how do you train Haitians to program when the average education level is 2nd or 3rd grade (elementary school)? Do you put them through 9 more years of school and 4 years of college first?
Steven A. Lowe
2008-10-20 20:32:16
np -- I happen to know the coordinators of a school district for elementary through high-school. The training would start post-HS, and would be very practical in nature (e.g. stay away from the Gen Ed Req stuff that is possibly of value when higher on a Maslow hierarchy of needs).
torial
2008-10-21 22:52:01
+2
A:
OLPC or any company where I could have a fundamental and positive impact on the lives of the users of the product.
MikeJ
2008-09-26 20:27:55
+2
A:
Currently, my current employer Symbian Software Ltd.
Market-leaders
(soon to be Nokia)
Dynite
2008-09-26 20:40:01
+4
A:
IBM
Don't laugh. Like China, they took a breather for a little while, but they're coming back stronger than ever. Once the world economy crashes and there's no more electricity, we'll see who makes jokes about punch cards.
Just kidding. Google, of course. Or Microsoft, if Bill is watching. Love me some Microsoft.
MusiGenesis
2008-09-26 21:18:14
They got some MAD chess skillz! (IBM, I mean. Not China. They got mad "go" skillz.)
erickson
2008-09-26 21:47:08
Yeah, we're doomed. I'm glad I've got some head-start experience translating apps into Chinese. Unfortunately it's traditional Chinese, which means Taiwan, which means I'm still ultimately doomed.
MusiGenesis
2008-11-24 15:16:47
+6
A:
Blizzard Entertainment. You know, the people that made Diablo and Warcraft.
I would not turn down an offering from Google, of course: every product of theirs (made/bought) contributed in making my life a bit easier (google, maps, docs, blogspot, code, sites, picasa...)
I hear Microsoft is not a bad place to work into either.
Manrico Corazzi
2008-09-26 21:34:57
+1
A:
Bungie, the people who brought you Halo, Oni, Myth, Marathon, etc. They're a talented group of fellows and it would be great to work with some of the best.
Zee JollyRoger
2008-09-26 21:37:15
A:
Remobjects. It must be great to work at a place where really good stuff is made.
Remobjects makes Oxygen/Chrome, a .NET Object Pascal + serveral other amazing products.
(No I don't work there, I don't even use Oxygen. I just wish I worked there)
mliesen
2008-09-26 21:58:36
A:
Google -
1/5 of every developer's time is spent on sanctioned independent projects. In other words, they build procrastination into their workday.
They provide free daycare and food for their developers.
Their headquarters are outside of the city, in a nice place to live.
The products they have been producing kick butt.
David Wees
2008-09-26 23:31:51
+1
A:
Anyplace where I can work on something new and different. I guess I'd really enjoy the opportunity to advance as well.
Alex Gartrell
2008-09-27 00:22:46
+3
A:
Microsoft, definitely, since they seem to attract some of the brightest people in the industry. It's always preferable to work with people smarter than yourself, who you can learn from.
Google is an excellent choice when it comes to working with very smart people. But for me, I'm a Microsoft technologies kind of guy, so definitely have to say Microsoft.
Besides, MSoft is such a huge company, you could work in many vastly different groups and on very different types of projects. Almost like working for a dozen different small companies throughout your career.
Sean Sexton
2008-09-27 01:10:20
A:
Zoho.
I would love to work in a company that is making all us Indians proud.
swapnonil
2008-09-28 08:25:51
Oh god no... I can't think of anywhere worse to work! All the Fowlerbots preaching their half-baked ideas about the One True Way to do software development. Thanks but no thanks!
Greg Beech
2009-03-03 21:53:24
A:
I'd like to run my own software company, both having a few products on the line and consulting services.
David The Man
2008-09-28 10:14:42
A:
The first thing that came to mind is Google. I am just waiting for them to call me and no I am not holding my breath. :D
Brian G
2008-10-02 15:20:44
A:
My own. I will not stop trying to build my own company until it is successful. In the mean time I work diligently for whomever pays me to develop software.
For those that want a more conformist answer: I would mimic a few existing companies when I start hiring for my own company. Construx always looked like a good place to work for me, but I am happy where I am for now. http://construx.com/Page.aspx?nid=38
They used to have 6 weeks off paid vacation, plus the week of Christmas/New Years. I guess they are buckling down - only 24 days PTO now...
Tim
2008-11-24 14:09:07
A:
I am actually really happy at my current company (I am working in the industry of my dreams for one of the most renowned companies and it's great), but I think that Working on the .net Team at Microsoft could be really interesting, especially on the teams behind MVC or Entity Framework.
Michael Stum
2008-11-24 14:17:51
A:
Microsoft. Cos they offer free cocaine. (I think I read that right.)
Also, They can make amazing stuff somethings.
Damien
2008-12-19 15:44:17
I'm sure they're really make amazing stuff with all this free cocain they offer
Mr. Brownstone
2008-12-19 15:51:52
A:
NVIDIA of course.The king behind almost every game. I just love it.
But you really need to work hard to get into it.They have got very tough selection process though.
Ravi
2009-10-31 10:26:20
A:
37 Signals, even though they are not a coldfusion house. Because I love their philosophy about simplicity in usability.
I mean they have done many articles explaining on why they would rather offer fewer features of an application, that were extremely well done, then 100's of features so-so done.
This is also why I like and respect google. They get simplicity or minimalism in usability.
And I really like and respect that.
crosenblum
2010-06-30 18:26:09