The Peterman Pod OpenAI & Meta Distinguished Engineer (IC9) On Working With Zuck, Carmack & Career Growth | Philip Su
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May 23, 2025 
Philip Su, a former Distinguished Engineer at Meta and OpenAI, shares his fascinating journey working alongside industry legends like Zuck and John Carmack. He discusses the expectations for senior engineering roles, the challenges of transitioning between individual contributor and management, and the lessons learned from his impressive colleagues. Su also reflects on why he left Facebook, his quest for income equality, and the critical importance of writing skills in tech. His insights are both inspiring and packed with practical advice for software engineers.
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Keys To Fast Career Growth
- Fast career growth comes from a mix of luck, talent, and hard work.
- Outworking others helps, but it may affect work-life balance and health.
Productivity and Experience Tradeoff
- Working very long hours decreases productivity per hour but increases overall output.
- Intense experience accumulation, like long surgery shifts, accelerates learning rapidly.
When To Pursue Management
- Only become a manager if your team would elect you as their leader.
- Be sure you want management as it can be hard to revert to IC roles later.
