Bengaluru techie shares his 3-year Google experience

Bengaluru techie “Striver” shares his 3 year experience working at Google.

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Raj Vikramaditya, popularly known as “Striver,” is a Bengaluru-based software engineer, entrepreneur, and a prominent figure in the tech community. After completing an impressive 3 year stint at Google, he recently took to X to share a detailed breakdown of his experiences highlighting the pros and cons of working in a global tech giant.

Bengaluru techie shares his 3-year Google experience
Image credit: @Striver on X

Pros of Working at Google

Talking about the advantages of working at Google, Raj listed:

  1. Incredible Work-Life Balance (WLB): “They (Google) take care of almost everything you can think of—food, gym, spa, trips, parties,” he shared.
  2. The Codebase: He admired Google’s exceptional codebase and internal tools. “Once you dive into it, you’re in awe of the quality, design, and overall architecture”.
  3. Surrounded by Geniuses: “Being around such talent pushes you to stay sharp and constantly improve,” Raj noted.
  4. Impact: “The work at Google reaches millions (or even billions),” he stated, highlighting the global scale of their projects.
  5. Extra Perks: “On-call pay, peer bonuses, and spot bonuses ensure there’s always something extra,” he noted.
  6. Internal Tools: Raj praised Google’s internal tools, saying, “The tools are so good that similar tools in the outside world are standalone startups, often run by different companies.”
  7. Documentation: “Everything is well-documented, making transitions easier when people switch teams or leave,” he wrote.

Challenges of Working at Google

Among the challenges, Raj pointed out:

  1. Too many approvals: “Processes can feel slow, but at this scale, multiple layers of approval are necessary to avoid risks like lawsuits,” he explained.
  2. Limited scope: “Most teams don’t get to work on end-to-end features. Much of the infrastructure is pre-built, so unless you’re on a core team, the learning curve might not be as steep,” he wrote.
  3. Team-switching and promotions: “Work done in a previous team isn’t considered for promotions after switching, leading to a dynamic where people often switch teams right after a promotion. This can result in slower promotions in some teams,” he shared.

“Here’s to 3 years of growth, learning, and unforgettable experiences,” Raj concluded his post.

In addition to his role at Google, Raj runs the popular YouTube channel Take U Forward (TUF), with over 7.2 lakh subscribers. He uses this platform, along with his educational organization, to mentor aspiring software engineers, sharing insights into programming, system design, and career growth.

Reflecting on his journey, Striver candidly acknowledged the challenges of juggling a full-time role at Google, maintaining an active presence on social media, and running Take U Forward. He humorously noted, “Only my body knows how tough it has been to work, be on social media, run TUF/TUF+. It’s ageing :).”

His post has achieved more than 91,000 views, and users are congratulating him.

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