Five years at Google

This April, I completed 5 years at Google. I have been through plenty of good, bad and average moments at this company and I am thankful for all of it.

Shipping stuff

I have worked at companies big and small but I don’t think I have shipped products with a large team before Google. Small pieces in projects, yes, but not full-fledged product updates that touch millions. There is something about drawing a design in Figma and then seeing it actually being used by billions of people.

Culture

Google’s culture is closest to that of a University. At least for individual contributors. There is a lot of hype around everything, which is both good and bad, but it is something. In the last year or so, the culture is fading and feels like the company doesn’t really care about the culture. However, I’d like to keep an optimistic outlook about the future. The culture can still be fixed at Google and I hope they do so before it is too late. Side note – this goes for most tech companies in Silicon Valley right now.

Engineering first

In the product triad of Engineering, Product Management and UX Design, Google is unabashedly focused on Engineering. This leads to some industry leading innovation in Engineering. At the same time, the product culture is heavily engineering driven. It is not a good or bad thing, but it is an imbalance that shapes how UI design work is done at Google.

Loyal to the work, not the company

The mass layoffs in tech and a general indifference from tech executives changed my perspective on work. I see myself less as a “Googler” and more as a designer. I am loyal to the work and the people who use the products Google makes. I see Google as a canvas where I can contribute and use it as a platform to do good work and grow as a designer.

Thankful with awareness

I am thankful for what this opportunity has given me. I am thankful for shipping impactful work, working with talented individuals, the famous Google perks and more. I like and dislike a lot of things about Google. It is not all great or all bad, but what experience in life is perfect anyway?