High TC, but at the cost of your soul and sanity
Pros
The Paycheck: Let’s be real, the total compensation (TC) is top-tier. If you can survive until your Year 3 and 4 stock vests, you’re set. The Resume Stamp: Having AWS on your resume is like a golden ticket. It opens doors everywhere else because people know if you survived here, you can handle anything. Smart Peers: You will work with some of the most brilliant engineers in the world. You’ll learn more in 6 months here than in 3 years at a mid-tier company.
Cons
PIP Culture: The "Unregretted Attrition" (URA) goals are real. Managers are often forced to identify a bottom percentage of the team to put on Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) or "Focus" to meet corporate quotas, even if the whole team is high-performing. It creates a "hunger games" vibe. Work-Life Balance (WLB): It doesn't exist. Expect to be on-call for services that "break the internet" if they go down. High-severity (Sev2) tickets at 3:00 AM are a regular occurrence, and you’re expected to be back at your desk by 9:00 AM. Leadership Principles (LPs) as Weapons: The 16 Leadership Principles are used to justify everything. "Dive Deep" is often just code for micromanagement, and "Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit" usually means "you can complain, but we’re doing it my way anyway." Return to Office (RTO 5): The recent mandate for 5 days in-office feels like a "silent layoff" tactic. It has destroyed morale for those who built lives around flexibility, and the offices are often overcrowded and loud.
