That&#x27;s actually more in reference to the situation from &#x27;07-10 (before the high-tech antitrust employee lawsuit, perhaps not coincidentally), although I think their reputation for massive perks &amp; great working conditions also seemed to drop off around 2012ish.<p>For shitty working conditions + excellent pay, I&#x27;d think more in terms of algo trading or founding a startup (well, technically founding a startup gives you shitty pay too, but with the potential of a large windfall).  Those are the alternatives that many Googlers with similar levels of education, intelligence, and ambition would consider, and Google didn&#x27;t even try to compete with those compensation levels.  In the packet included with my offer letter explaining why I should work for Google, they even said &quot;Most Googlers do not work for Google to maximize financial gain.&quot;