I feel like Google is having more outages recently. I worked there for 4 years and even in such a short time you really noticed the shift from engineering focus to business focus. But maybe it is just a coincidence.
I never worked for Google. They wanted to hire me after the first set of interviews, but I took a different opportunity at the time. Interview process was an intense, and the interviewers were sharp. I came out even more impressed with Google. This was way back in the day -- early '00s. I would totally be excited to work for that Google. It's just that, well, there are lots of awesome things to do, and I had (what seemed like at the time) a more interesting option. I sometimes had regrets and sometimes not.
Second process was maybe 2-3 years ago. It didn't get to a full onsite, since after a few conversations with the team, it was clear there wasn't a fit. The old arrogance was still there, but without the same sharpness or cleverness. I spoke to a team working on a new product (under NDA) in a field I had a lot of experience in, and:
1) There were computer scientists without a clear understanding of the target market domain.
2) They believed they were the best-and-brightest, and didn't need to consult experts in the field.
3) There was a lot of hype and salesmanship.
I like to be surrounded by smart people, and it felt like I'd be the sharpest guy in that room. I was a better computer scientist, AND better domain expert in the field the product was in than anyone on that team. That's not a position I want to find myself in.
And I have a job which pays a lot less than Google, but I'm surrounded by smart people I learn a heck of a lot from, where I'm working on meaningful things, and having fun. I'm also continuing to build my personal brand.
Now a few years later, the product they were working on never shipped, so if I worked for Google, I would have likely been on a failed project. On the other hand, my mortgage would likely be paid off.
