I’ve been here long enough to know two things:
1. I’m incredibly lucky in that I’ve been steadily employed for my entire time here (except for 2 weeks many years ago after being laid off from a failing family owned biz).
2. All the hype you’ve read about the valley is true. All the craziness, the money, the excesses, the creativity – all of it true. No exaggeration.
OK, there’s a third thing. I’ve become a bit jaded, a bit cynical. The execs who run the companies are all beginning to sound alike with their lines about “teamwork” and “this is your company, and you can make it happen” and “give 110% and you will be rewarded”, etc. Beeeeep! The only ones getting rich (with a few exceptions) are the founders. Period. Want to get rich here? Be a founder. I wish I’d figured that one out years ago when I had more energy.
Dispatches From Silicon Valley 