In the high-stakes world of tech jobs, few things are as coveted as an offer from a FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) company. But for one software engineer working at a startup, what should have been a career milestone has become an emotional minefield. The engineer took to Reddit’s r/developersIndia community to share his dilemma, and what followed was a flood of empathy, outrage, and advice that exposed a growing concern among Indian techies — inflexible notice periods blocking career-defining moves.
The Reddit post that struck a nerve
The original post, titled “Just Got a FAANG Offer—Now Worried About My Long Notice Period”, comes from a developer who’s spent years proving his worth: earning awards, never missing deadlines, and maintaining a spotless record. Despite having no pending tasks or dependencies, he now faces resistance from his manager to be released in 30 days, as required by his new job’s joining date.
The engineer cited his offer letter, which allows for leave adjustment and salary buyout during the notice period — yet his manager simply said, “Don’t keep the joining too tight, you might lose the offer.” This statement, wrapped in caution but steeped in control, sparked heated discussions online.
Reddit erupts: Is this petty or policy?
The post ignited a wave of responses from fellow engineers across India — many of whom are trapped in similar situations.
“I’m in the same situation,” one user wrote, revealing they had offered a buyout but were still being denied early release from a 90-day notice. Another commenter captured the prevailing sentiment with piercing clarity: “What do they gain or lose here? Are they simply being petty and bitter?”
Others claimed their companies retaliated against them for not accepting retention offers. One techie said a single manager’s bruised ego was all it took to block their exit, even after they had completed all documentation and handovers. “The HRs can’t do sh*t,” the user added grimly.
When systems fail, soft skills step in
Yet amid the frustration, some shared hopeful anecdotes. One redditor detailed how maintaining a good rapport with the recruiter at the new company ultimately saved the offer. After explaining their situation, sharing email trails and offering transparency, the recruiter reissued the offer with a revised joining date.
The key takeaway? “Be human. If you both speak the same language, switch from English and connect. It helps,” the user suggested.
Another piece of advice gaining traction was to escalate internally by emailing leadership — skip-level managers, HR, and department heads — while showing your intent and professionalism. Several also recommended parallel planning: applying elsewhere while staying open to a fallback on the retention offer, if needed.
An industry-wide problem in plain sight
This Reddit thread has not only exposed the emotional and strategic challenges engineers face during transitions, but also questioned the ethics and effectiveness of India’s rigid notice period culture. In an era where companies want to scale fast and hire faster, a system that keeps tech talent shackled for 60 to 90 days — even when they’re no longer required — is fast becoming a liability.
FAANG-level offers don’t come every day. But unless notice period norms evolve, many techies may find their dream jobs slipping away — not due to lack of talent, but due to a system designed to delay. As one user aptly put it: “Why do we make this so complicated?” Perhaps it’s time Indian tech asked the same.