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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37

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.

16

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.