On Penny Arcade, Exploitation, and the Myth of the Do-Everything Rock Star
<i>I think the thing that frustrates me the most about it is: they’ll probably get a thousand applicants. A bunch of 25 year-old kids with a ton of talent and stars in their eyes are going to try to get this crap job for crap pay so they can work somewhere “cool” and feel like a part of something big. The Penny Arcade “machine” (their term) will roll on, making its millions of dollars while somehow retaining the “little guy” image that hasn’t been accurate for at least five years, and probably more. That’s one of Khoo’s many gifts — he has figured out exactly how to sell this company, even if the image they’re peddling is a load of horseshit.</i><p>This confuses me, because its as if the author tries to force his valuation of the opportunity onto all prospective applicants.  He recognizes that a position at Penny Arcade has a level of cachet, but doesn't recognize that that level of cachet is transitive: if someone "can work somewhere “cool” and feel like a part of something big", then good for them.  It's up to each person whether or not to decide if those benefits outweigh the costs of eschewing different employment.<p>Also, lots and lots of ad hominem.  I'm not super familiar with Penny Arcade -- having never attended PAX and having not read the comic in a few years -- but a lot of this post seems to be conjecture which hinges on Robert Khoo being a villain.<p>(I would never apply for this job, because I value salary and work-life balance too much.  But I recognize there are people who don't, which is why early-stage startups can thrive.)