Working at Netflix 2017

The norm in SV (from visits to other companies) seems to be open office layout -- desks everywhere without walls or dividers. Ours is more private, I think it's called "semi-open", and out of shot behind me is a carpet-wall-thing that's about 5.5 feet high. So I'd say Netflix is a bit more private than the norm.

I don't know what happened to private offices in SV. Sun Microsystems had a private office for every engineer, but Facebook tore them down when they took over. (I gave a talk at Facebook and included a floor plan from the Sun days: https://www.slideshare.net/brendangregg/linux-bpf-superpower... )

It's not a high-traffic area at all (I'm at the other end of his row, and I've got a high-traffic seat w/ high walls to block visual "noise"). While I would prefer an office (solo or shared with a few), we're given enough options that in general, it's not bad at all.

Yeah, being limited to 720p because you run a free software operating system is not my idea of 'not shady' (Netflix is keeping their streams on Firefox and Chrome on 720p as a matter of policy, 1080p requires IE11, Edge, or Safari on a non-free operating system, or their proprietary app on an approved operating system).

The only way this makes sense is if the purpose of this blockade is to push people towards devices and operating systems that are completely locked down with DRM, from the software to the hardware. I can't think of any other reason — if Netflix does serve me 1080p and 4K streams, would that cause a sudden increase in the amount of pirated releases available?

I can already get everything on Netflix, in 1080p, if I really want just by visiting the usual pirate haunts! So what exactly is gained by degrading my viewing experience by only allowing me 720p as long as I choose to run a free operating system instead of a fully locked down platform?

I wish Netflix would give an honest answer on their DRM strategy, because it is driving me away.

I could understand if this was done because of licensing issues, but Netflix has decided on a blanket ban of 1080p and higher for their customers on free operating systems and anyone else who wants to use Chrome or Firefox.

There are many shady tech company practices:

* Open sexual harassment culture

* Building spy software for the government

* Selling censorship tools to governments

* Selling your private data to advertisers

* Allowing advertisers to target a person's emotional state

* Profiting off of fake news and click bait

* Tracking people across the web

* Using monopolies to limit competition in other realms

* Strong arming third parties to keep them from using your competitors' products

Somehow, limiting streaming to 720p on non-supported platforms seems pretty benign.

Edit: Tried to separate list from closing comment.

I don't see anything controversial about encrypting media you rent. The whole canard about DRM is that you don't own the media. You're not paying for ownership of Netflix videos. You're paying for access.

Realistically, what's their option here? Take a stance on an issue not everyone agrees upon (and which most people don't care about) which could potentially shut them down in the long run?

Blocking virtually all VPNs and VPS IP ranges is not the most pleasant practice. I realize this is likely a Hollywood demand, but absent any kind of other information from them, it sure appears that they are complicit in it.

Further, they make it essentially impossible to to create a local routing rule to bypass the VPN for them alone. You're stuck whitelisting the whole of AWS.

Shady and controversial are two very different things.

Another example to add for "shady", for a long time Netflix used to push shows you'd watched to the end in your "continue watching" show to prompt you to watch them again, which could easily be mistaken for "the show actually has new episodes".

They did fix that though, i think.

House of Cards has a plot very shady to me. A lot of hidden agendas or bias if you prefer to take it easy.

What makes you think the Netflix turnover rate is high?

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that I have not personally experienced it. I've been at Netflix for a little less than 2 years. We've had zero turnover in my immediate group (the team that runs the OS used on the OpenConnect Appliance), and very little turnover in adjacent teams. I experienced far more turnover at Google.

A colleague already commented, but I too haven't personally experienced a high turn-over rate or a culture of fear. The culture is really great. On my team we're mostly the same as we were when I joined 3 years ago. We've added a few, and lost one. There is a turn-over rate, but what does one mean by high?

By "culture of fear," do you mean the way they stated their willingness to let anyone go if doing so better meets the company's needs than retaining them? That's just what all large companies do; they're just making it explicit.

Maybe we should stop thinking they're so ridiculous.

When you factor in stocks, bonuses, healthcare and benefits the pay is same as in any other big N companies. Add family-friendliness, job stability to the list and you have much more than Netflix offers.

450k/yr cash for senior software engineers. No bonus, no RSUs, I think maybe 5% of that is in stock. Nothing else though, which would be fine by me.

That called my attention as well, but I figured they would be in semi-open-space: some privacy provided by the shell to the left of the chair and maybe one behind the chair, but open to the front and to the right of the chair.

As in, maybe there's another workstation to the right of the chair positioned in symmetry (open to the left and shelf to the right).

The chair by the window looks like belonging to the hallway in front of the pictured workstation.

Just speculating though.

Linux caught up last year: http://www.brendangregg.com/blog/2016-10-27/dtrace-for-linux...

Thanks for getting the book! DTrace is invaluable for solving a set of needs, and we're using it on our FreeBSD CDN. Over time, Linux has been adding capabilities that can solve the same set of needs, although using different technologies.

Right now, the Linux kernel (4.9+) can do the same things as DTrace, but the interface we're using (bcc/BPF) is currently 10+ times more verbose and much more difficult to use. Who does that hurt the most? At Netflix, me, as it's my job to add advanced observability to our analysis GUIs, and actually write the bcc/BPF.

So far I've given conference talks on bcc/BPF at Performance@Scale, USENIX LISA, linux.conf.au, BSidesSF, and SCALE. Next is Velocity Conf.

Still down. Probably zapped his monthly bandwidth in an hour.

As someone who works in the totally opposite situation (government job, permanent, no one gets fired for performance), I respect that Netflix publishes this deck. I would much much much rather have a company publish a clear set of expectations, pre-interview, than have those expectations be "read between the lines" or find out the hard way.

I try to be equally clear when I'm hiring. I make it clear to the candidates that this is not a place for individualism, not a place for innovation, not a place for cutting edge tech. We are heavily team oriented, process oriented, CRUD application maintaining, older stable tech platforms with interchangable teams. I want to make that clear, not because I want to "horrify" candidates (though no doubt many on HN are horrified) but so that people who want the exciting startup lifestyle aren't bamboozled by some swarmy HR position description that tries to sell something that isn't.

I respect that Netflix is willing to step up and make their expectations clear as well!

I actually found the culture deck refreshing and attractive and a big part of why I joined Netflix. There's nothing ruthless about getting rid of people who aren't doing their jobs.

Really unhelpful, you provide zero details whatsoever to explain this rather alarmist interpretation.

How is their culture deck one of the most horrific things you have ever seen in the tech industry?

I found it very appealing. I loved the bit that was something like: we're professionals working together, a sports team, not a family.

The culture isn't for everyone, and that's ok. But I'd personally call horrific the kinds of things that the culture deck prevents happening at Netflix. No brilliant jerks. No deadwood staff who after years of second chances still can't do their jobs, but can't ever be let go. No abusive office politics. etc.

Extremely high salaries. Lot better than amazon that pays people badly and is ruthlessly mercenary.

Primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics? Can you elaborate more?

Page 61 says dishonesty and harassment are intolerable.

When did you work there (like what range of dates)?

Netflix recruiter forced me to read all 200 pages of it and asked me pop quiz on it during the subsequent call. No Joke. During the interview interviewer constantly referred to "Netflix culture" as if they were in some sort of cult.

Why does a corporate company need to invent some ridiculous "culture" is beyond me. You pay me I do work, thats all the culture I need.

>>Then while working here, staff cite the culture deck in meetings for decision making advice.

These meetings sound like fun.

The interface is the result of tens of thousands of A/B tests. Every change is tested and produces greater general happiness.

There is a probably a bimodal distribution on happiness, but they only optimize for the bigger curve instead of both, to reduce complexity. So while you, and an advanced user, might want a lot of advanced features, those same features scare away the majority of casual users. So it's a business decision to cater to the majority at the expense of the minority to reduce overall development cost.