When hiring senior engineers, you’re not buying, you’re selling
Isn&#x27;t it just... mostly money?  I mean, if you want to hire someone good, who presumably has a good job, you have to pay better than what they are getting now.<p>I think this is probably especially true in Europe;  I mean, as far as I know, people get like a 2x-4x raise moving to silicon valley from europe.   If you pay more than your local competitors, you will largely have your pick of the candidates.<p>I mean, yes, things other than money matter a lot, too.   But as an employee?  I think that&#x27;s really, really hard to judge from the interview.   The money is pretty easy to judge, and as far as I can tell, total comp is a good &#x27;honest signal&#x27;  that I&#x27;m going to be treated in other ways.   How much money they offer is a better indicator that I&#x27;ll be treated well, in my experience, than anything anyone can say at an interview.<p>I think as workers, we&#x27;re not doing ourselves any favors by pretending that an employer can get the best people without paying the best rates.