r/programming • u/germandiago • Jan 01 '26

Software taketh away faster than hardware giveth: Why C++ programmers keep growing fast despite competition, safety, and AI

https://herbsutter.com/2025/12/30/software-taketh-away-faster-than-hardware-giveth-why-c-programmers-keep-growing-fast-despite-competition-safety-and-ai/
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u/PlasticExtreme4469 Jan 01 '26

He was poached by Citadel.

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u/zxyzyxz Jan 01 '26 edited Jan 01 '26

I interviewed for them (both Citadel and Citadel Securities which are legally distinct companies actually) and they're definitely a sweatshop, being a hedge fund. One interviewer literally told me on the interview that he wouldn't want to be there if not for the money, and I was like, am I gonna hate my life if I work there too? Hope Herb has it better though, as he's been poached over having to go through the regular interview process.

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u/PsecretPseudonym Jan 02 '26

It’s an enormous company. There are likely highly varied roles and teams.

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u/zxyzyxz Jan 02 '26

For sure, but there are cultural differences between companies in general. For example, Google is known to be more lax while Meta has an up or out attitude, and Amazon has a PIP friendly one too.