DancingWalrus
DancingWalrus
Student

Honest advice or political correctness?

I work at a small startup that was acquired by a large corporate, primarily via high level contacts of the founders rather than technical due diligence. Founders and employees cash out big FAANG-level payslips without bothering about any actual work or revenue.

Being in my late 20s, I believe that our energetic youth should be spent on doing something that we are proud of, when we look back on our younger days. Imagine yourself in your 60s, and your grandchildren look up to and ask you about your life. I would definitely get depressed if I had to tell them that I did nothing of significance, just collected my salary.

In this context, I have been telling a few of my close colleagues how we can learn specific tech stacks which are in demand, in interesting domains that we can shift to, if applying to other companies. However, recently I came to know that some of these colleagues have shared screenshots of my conversations with management and claimed that I am violating company policy by apparently encouraging people to apply elsewhere.

Didn't see it playing out like this, so it's a shocker for me. Going forward, what would you suggest? Keep my mouth shut and be company policy-wise correct with people to avoid such backstabbers? Or should I continue to be honest and just change company myself?

17mo ago
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JumpyRaccoon
JumpyRaccoon

Never ever text your colleagues on things you're trying to talk/have opinion against the management. Remember this wherever you go - your colleagues are NOT your friends. They need not have the same expectations as what you have with yourself. They wouldn't wanna give a shit about what stories they're gonna tell their grandchildren. And since your company is a small startup news and gossips travel faster than you can imagine. Given such a situation my colleagues would be the last set of folks with whom I would be discussing my plans.

JumpyRaccoon
JumpyRaccoon

If you don't see a point working here and that the management is going to come after you in someway or the other it is better to leave the place "admitting" you're not seeing growth possibilities. They now know you're not happy anyway. You will only have a bad appraisal cycle next time since that's how the Professional India rolls majorly.

DancingWalrus
DancingWalrus
Student17mo

Thank you for both your points.

Since I have been in this startup from the beginning, when it was a small team, I thought my colleagues were a close knit bunch trying to build stuff together. So I naively assumed they were my friends. This has been an eye-opener.

And yes, I too think the best way out of this is to just leave.

BubblyPenguin
BubblyPenguin

Complete the sentence.

Listen kids I did nothing of significance, just collected my salary so that you can sit in this villa, bring your friend over for house party and go to study in London.

BubblyPenguin
BubblyPenguin

My take- No need to so anything of significance. It doesnt matter. You solve nothing. Everything remains as it is. Just get money for yourself so that you can tick mark one goal of life. And after that move towards other goals

DancingWalrus
DancingWalrus
Student17mo

Interesting take. Somehow I seem to have always implicitly conflated my self worth with the quality of the work I produce. I guess it's a conditioned side effect of watching too many movies in my childhood, glorifying the hustlers in tech and science. 😅

DizzyLlama
DizzyLlama

Hey, what you posess is damn good. What I suggest is, keep doing what you are, but while sharing these things, try to find out first if the people you are gonna share it with are trusted

DancingWalrus
DancingWalrus
Student17mo

😇 thanks. Somehow I seem to lack that sense for figuring out who is trustworthy. The people I mentioned here have been jovial and cordial with me for years. And I saw this team grow from the start. So I thought we were close friends. Only now I got to know that they have been acting otherwise, behind the scenes.

DizzyLlama
DizzyLlama

No issues, refrain from these discussions hence forth. And maybe switch

BouncyMarshmallow
BouncyMarshmallow

Change company Answer to almost all corporate life problems , we are not in govt job, switching at will without draining mental peace to last drop is the one advantage of private job.

DancingWalrus
DancingWalrus
Student17mo

That seems to be the best option 😅

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