Getting a job in Silicon Valley, as an outsider, isn't hard. Getting a good job is hard. Many offers will come through at a lower level just because, whatever you did, you didn't do it in the Valley. That's Cali arrogance for ya.
Hedge fund interviews are a lot more intense and technically difficult (and you feel good when you pass) but don't come with the VC-fueled, youthful arrogance of a proper Valley company. Hedge funds also don't try to lowball you with insulting junior positions because you're not from California or you don't know the five 3-year-old technologies in their stack in detail. If you pass their interviews, the hedgies take you seriously. Most of these VC-funded companies, on the other hand, don't really respect most of the people they hire. They sell aggressively, but the options offers turn out to be ridiculous (sub 0.1%), relocation pay is nonexistent, and, if you're not a Valley insider, the positions are often pretty terrible, as you discover if you ask the right questions.
If you can deal with arrogance, you can probably get a good job in the Valley after enough time. But you'll have plenty of experiences that leave you thinking, "How is this company alive?"
Every time startups are mentioned, you have a lengthy diatribe over how Silicon Valley sucks. Yet, you've admitted that you've never worked in Silicon Valley. I'm sorry you are so butthurt over being screwed over by a NYC startup, but it's not that bad out here. Every place has assholes and arrogant pricks, but some of the best team members I've worked with are out here as well.
A week ago had an interview at Hedge Fund company (London).
Let me ask you what sort of 'seriousness' they look in me while asking questions like:
What is the name of Java technology which loads classes? A: Classloader.
Yes, I do have two years of Java experience, I got used to their "Describe red-black tree algorithm"-like questions. But thank you, I measure myself not by remembering names of JVM components.
I don't see how a hedge fund is qualitatively different from a VC firm. They're both allocating investment dollars and hoping to make big money on the return.
On the other hand, what value do hedge funds produce again?
You can change 1 billion people's jobs every day with a handful of 3-year old technologies, starting today and ending as a VC-funded Internet startup. You can literally start today.
This is mostly going to be of interest to people building value though.
Hedge fund interviews are a lot more intense and technically difficult (and you feel good when you pass) but don't come with the VC-fueled, youthful arrogance of a proper Valley company. Hedge funds also don't try to lowball you with insulting junior positions because you're not from California or you don't know the five 3-year-old technologies in their stack in detail. If you pass their interviews, the hedgies take you seriously. Most of these VC-funded companies, on the other hand, don't really respect most of the people they hire. They sell aggressively, but the options offers turn out to be ridiculous (sub 0.1%), relocation pay is nonexistent, and, if you're not a Valley insider, the positions are often pretty terrible, as you discover if you ask the right questions.
If you can deal with arrogance, you can probably get a good job in the Valley after enough time. But you'll have plenty of experiences that leave you thinking, "How is this company alive?"