A software engineering manager describes how he and a colleague bypassed the Secretary Problem—a mathematical model for optimal hiring—by allowing rejected candidates to reapply after a cooling-off period and offering optional learning support. Working at a Clojure-focused startup in India in 2013–2014, they sought QA testers with programming potential, recognizing that conventional hiring constraints would waste promising applicants.
Steve Yegge compares Amazon and Google based on his experience at both companies, arguing Google is superior in nearly every dimension except Amazon's versioned-library system, publish-subscribe system, and bias toward launching early. He highlights Amazon's flaws including inconsistent hiring, poor operations, inadequate facilities, and a cluttered codebase, while crediting Jeff Bezos's micro-management as a compensating strength despite its costs.