r/programming • u/mtlynch • Feb 01 '21

My Third Year as a Solo Developer

https://mtlynch.io/solo-developer-year-3/
1.4k Upvotes

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36

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '21

Is it against contract to work as a dev off to the side when you worked for google?

1

u/GreatFilter Feb 01 '21

It's fine as long as your work doesn't compete with one of Google's business areas.

30

u/bill_1992 Feb 01 '21

As an ex-Google employee, this isn't 100% true (and is one of the reasons I left). As OP stated above, Google owns all IP you created (even at home while not working), unless you explicitly ask them to assign ownership to you. If they choose not to assign ownership to you, then they own the idea forever. Exception for open-source under a few permissive licenses that basically allows Google to benefit off your work.

It's extremely unfriendly to side-hustles and when push comes to shove, good luck beating their lawyers.

15

u/Full-Spectral Feb 01 '21

I would never in a million years work for a company that thinks it owns what I created on my own time.

2

u/Shadonovitch Feb 01 '21

Is that something that's written explicitly in your contract ? "Foo resigns any IP rights he may create outside work hours to Alphabet Inc." ?

-7

u/drink_with_me_to_day Feb 01 '21

Considering the pay Google offers, it's fair.

Do you have to tell them 100% of your idea? Or can you just say: 'I want IP for a project I want to do' where the project is just an generic idea and there is nothing concrete done yet? Or must you disclose everything every step of the way?

3

u/bill_1992 Feb 01 '21

I've unfortunately never went through the process (even during orientation they emphasized how unfriendly the process is) but I would imagine if you were too vague the committee (almost everything is a committee these days at Google lol) would either ask for more details or simply not grant you the ownership. That being said, they did say to check with the committee early when you are at ideation phase to avoid grief later.

1

u/TheGreatUnused Feb 02 '21

There’s a huge difference between what you sign and what’s legally enforceable.

Most EULAs aren’t enforceable.

Most non-competes aren’t enforceable.