Obsession with working in giant corporate or MNC (Part II)

Coming to the more juicy part...(from Part I)

Lately, I was informed that his company just has a corporate takeover ..(Uh-oh!) by an American conglomerate.

Whenever, there is a buyover, there will always be 1 thing on the buyer's mind

PROFIT, PROFIT, PROFIT

Which inadvertently points to

Maximise Profit, Minimise Cost

When I was told of the takeover, in my mind, I silently knew that his little Msian empire will crumble soon...but he was still going on and on...on how fantastic his company products are and how his products are the first in world to do this and that...and on and on.

Just happended, I just had a message from him just today, that his (very close) foreign colleague/counterpart had just been laid off....after more than 10 years of service, and now the HQ is scrutinising the Msian office, and his little dynasty here. He is desperate to leave (at least he sounds like it) and asked me whether there are any other opportunities.

Problem is I know he wont be interested in applying a job in small companies and the least he will do is to treat them as a stepping stone for him to 'soar' with the big wigs again...and to fall again and again...sigh

Personally I am still slightly miffed with the (arrogant) previous email reply I gotten from him when I asked for his help (and potentially a business venture).

However, the fact is we have known each other for some time, so I just offered him some advice and some consoling words....but I did pointed out to him...that I expected (which I really did...and I think anybody else would too) that this would happen.

But I know this sounds rude and obnoxious....but thats what you reap when you unconditionally lick asses....

Enough of my rant!

Personally I do not like to work in giant corporates...reason being

• I hate administrative or bureaucratic processes
• I hate filling in forms or writing to explain my thoughts or opinions
• Its very impersonal
• Office politic is a bitch!
• Too much time spent covering our asses and trying to second guess our colleagues/managers/bosses
• And when shit happens...finger pointing galore

Obsession with working in giant corporate or MNC (Part I)

Quite recently, I had a chance to fix a potential deal with a close friend of mine. This (uncle) guy has been working for a Multinational Company (MNC) and is holding one of the top marketing/management position in Malaysia (perhaps even in Asia Pacific) in the company. Needless to say, he tends to wax lyrical about his company products...always boasting things like..

• We are the first in the world to do this...
• Our products are top notch...
• We are in the highly critical sectors (like defence and radar)

blah blah blah...

Well, I cannot deny those products are of excellent quality and standard...but whenever we touch on the local industry (or R&D) trying to emulate or even innovate, the standard replies from him will be

• Local products are lousy
• Why reinvent the wheel....just import from other countries lahhh

I can understand his point of view...which usually boils down to mainly these 3

• Yup, perhaps such technology are already matured, so why re-invent
• Starting from scratch or even mimicking a technology requires many iterations and is time consuming
• And lastly..perhaps this is the deal breaker...he wont get any commission (esp if products from his company).

But you have to ask yourself, for any industry, there will always be spin offs or jobs created...

Can you ask the local researchers to just be an importer? The local manufacturers? Local software developers? Local engineers??

Even when I mentioned this to him...he adamantly said the best way is just get the technology in...and just use as it is.

Well to cut things short...I asked him to help me market certain products that I am going to collaborate with a local R&D entity...but the response I got from him was very disappointing...and more importantly it really made me sad.

The tone of the response border on arrogance and slight contempt

"Fast to code & deploy" vs "Fast & Stable Performance" (A brief Rant!)

"Fast to code & deploy"

The more pertinent question that you should ask is not how fast you code and can test consecutively, but how fast can you implement a certain functions.

Example:

Programming language A:
Coder A with 3 years of experience, can code a certain function for a system in 2 days, using a fast-to-deploy scripting like language (such as PHP). Any changes will be reflected on the fly.

Programming language B:
Coder B with same (3) years of experience, using a pre-compiled (interpreter) language, which requires extensive compilation time before deployment (such as C++, Java), can code the same exact function (as above) in maybe 2.5 days.

Note: Seriously, much of a time difference can compilation make...in view of the whole project timeline. Yes, code compilation is a hassle and can be annoying, but in view of the whole project...it's not a deal breaker

However, Coder C with say 5 years of experience of Language B, can easily code that very function in 1-1.5 days. Experience really counts, especially as he picks up more shortcuts or he makes less mistake.


"Fast & Stable Performance"

This is where the deal breaker comes in. Stability and performance are heavily dependent on the dynamics of the language and the very interpreter its is bounded by.

Usually, scripting languages tend to be loosely typed and less stringent, but the drawback is that you will get a thousand smart ass saying they are so called 'experts'. This is where the abuse comes in and the codes get spaghetti, and thereby makes it very less maintainable or those categories of "Only the author of the code knows what he is doing!".

Javascript has always been my public enemy number 1 in this respect.

However, there are no doubts that you NEED to pay a price when it comes to Stability and Performance. No free lunch.

Conclusion:

Those who knows me will know where my undivided loyalties lie. There is no doubt in my mind, I am a huge fan of pre-compiled, strongly typed language (JAVA!). If you take over abandoned million dollar projects, with minimal documentation, you will thank me. That's where the strongly typed language can really helps. The codes are the documentation by itself.

Fast to code, deploy and test have their advantages...but again, if a coder declares they can do the same thing within 2 days in PHP, which they need twice the time in Java... well my response to that is:

Challenge accepted...I can do the same thing within 1 day in Java, which it is said 2 days are required in PHP.


Note: More rants coming soon...not on the language but the practitioners of that scripting language...for some reason..simple dumb down language creates very dumbed down developers...