FIRE stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. It is a movement that is gaining popularity among software engineers and other high-income earners. FIRE advocates for living a frugal lifestyle and saving a large percentage of your income so that you can retire early.

There are several reasons why FIRE is …

Phantom stock is a type of equity compensation that gives employees the right to share in the appreciation of a company's stock without actually owning any shares. It is often used by startups and other companies that do not yet have publicly traded stock.

Phantom stock can be a valuable …

FAANG companies typically use a few different compensation zones, including:

• San Francisco Bay Area: This is the highest-paying compensation zone, with salaries that are significantly higher than in other areas. This is due to the high cost of living in the Bay Area.
• New York City: This is another high-paying …

There are a number of factors that employers should consider when determining compensation zones, including:

• Cost of living: The cost of living is one of the most important factors that employers should consider when determining compensation zones. This is because the cost of living varies significantly from one area to …

Compensation zones are geographic areas that have been designated by employers as having different salary ranges for similar positions. These zones are typically based on factors such as cost of living, local market conditions, and the availability of talent.

For example, a company might have a compensation zone for the …

System design interviews are a type of technical interview that is often used by FAANG companies to assess the skills of software engineers. In a system design interview, you will be asked to design a system from scratch. This could be a web application, a distributed system, or a database …

What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad is a person who works remotely and travels the world. They typically use technology to do their work, such as a laptop and internet connection. Digital nomads often have flexible schedules and can work from anywhere in the world.

The rise of …

Restricted stock is a form of equity compensation that is often offered to software engineers. It is a way for companies to attract and retain top talent by giving them a stake in the company's success.

What is restricted stock?

Restricted stock is stock that is granted to employees but …

A 401(k) is a retirement savings plan that allows employees to save money from their paychecks on a tax-deferred basis. A Roth 401(k) is a variation of the 401(k) plan that allows employees to make contributions after-tax.

Both 401(k)s and Roth 401(k)s offer …

Stock options are a form of equity compensation that companies offer to their employees. They give employees the right to buy a certain number of shares of the company's stock at a predetermined price. The price is typically set at a discount to the current market price.

Stock options can …