[NBLUG/talk] Interesting job description, very extropian. (was re: [Fwd: Netflix is Hiring]

[Scott Doty]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Netflix is Hiring
Date: 	Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:42:10 -0700
From: 	Roy S. Rapoport <rsr at inorganic.org>
To: 	baylisa at baylisa.org



I just read http://baylisa.org/services/announcements.shtml which advises
me to be brief.  I was intending to wax lyrical about Netflix and the
environment here (I'm sending this from my personal account, but I've been
working at Netflix now for about 2.5 weeks).  In the interest of helping
people with really short attention span:

HI.  WE'RE HIRING SENIOR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS/ENGINEERS.  INTERESTED?
CONTACT ME.

There.  The rest of you can feel free to read more below.

Firstly, more about the technical environment here:  Netflix is probably
pretty unique (personally, I use the word "weird") -- we've got a steady
supply of IBM Kool-Aid here.  We run IBM server hardware (on which we run
both AIX and Linux; more of the latter, thankfully) and storage systems.
We're also now starting to use Isilons and Netapps, thankfully.  Scripting
language of choice seems to be Perl, though as a Python person I'm grateful
to not be required to use it.

Speaking of not being required to do something, Netflix is big -- and I
mean BIG -- on minimizing rules, regulations, red tape, etc.  It's helped
them get to where they are today.  Their big motto is "freedom and
responsibility" -- do whatever you want to do, just act in Netflix's best
interests.  It's a little crazy.  A good example of this is the vacation
policy and tracking system, which is described in one sentence:  There is
no vacation policy and tracking system.  You take off the time you take
off.  You work the time you work.  You get paid regardless.  Another
example of "let's not waste time tracking and managing stupid stuff" is
lunch.  They realized people had meetings over lunch, and when they did,
they'd order lunch in.  Then they'd have to figure out, when lunch arrived,
who ordered it, where to bill it, who was supposed to get it, where it was;
sometimes people wouldn't show up and there'd be lots of food left over.
Lots of work for not much of a reward.  So they just started ordering in
lunch for everybody.  Consistent, easy to track, less headaches.  Doesn't
mean you don't get to go out to lunch, mind you.  You just don't have to
:).

Internally, it's described as a high-performance environment.  Their focus
is on hiring very very good people, paying them significantly-above-market
wages, setting out the context for what success looks like, and unleashing
them.  If they don't perform, they get fired.  It really is that simple.

For some people, this can be a scary place to work in.  If you value
safety, if you value thinking you'll always have a job (ha!), if you've
been in this industry for a long time and are ready for a little slower
pace, more calm environment ... it's not the place for you.  I've been in
IT for 18 years, and I've been happiest when I've been at my most
disruptive.  I've never been in a more perfect environment for me.  It's a
shark tank.  If you think you're a shark, you're going to have a fantastic
time.  If you think you're chum ... it's probably not a good fit.

If you're interested in talking more, feel free to email me here, at
rsr at inorganic.org, or at my work address, at rrapoport at netflix.com.

-roy

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