Would you leave an established employer for a startup you thought might fail?
Some of China’s engineers have decided that sounds reasonable.
In interviews with our counterparts at 36Kr, engineers moving from smart driving into robotics described higher pay and opportunities to lead teams. One former Li Auto engineer went from being an individual contributor to leading ten people. He hoped his new employer would stay alive for at least a year or two.
That is hardly a ringing endorsement. But an employee does not necessarily need the company to succeed in the long term for a job to be worthwhile.
An investor could lose money if the startup fails. An engineer could leave having earned more and learned skills that help secure the next job.
Both face risks. But they do not need the same outcome.
That may explain why warnings about a robotics bubble do not discourage everyone. Some benefits, such as a higher salary, arrive while the company is still finding its way. Employees do not have to wait for it to go public to receive them.
Their alternatives matter, too. Some engineers said they had fewer chances to advance or were less satisfied at automakers. Staying can also have a cost if the work no longer helps them grow.
But moving only pays off if the new job improves their prospects beyond the next paycheck:
Robotics companies are becoming more selective. They increasingly want people who have made physical robots work. Experience developing autonomous driving systems may no longer suffice.
For someone making the move, that means learning how to solve unfamiliar problems. A better title alone will not do much for their next job application.
Nor does a startup automatically provide a good place to learn. Without the right equipment, experienced colleagues, or clear direction, an engineer may struggle to develop. If the company closes, months without work could also eat into the extra pay.
The move can still make sense. But its value depends on what the engineer gains while the company is operating, and what remains useful after leaving.
A pay rise is easy to measure. But the broader value of a job becomes clear only when the engineer looks for the next one.
Related readings
- A company does not have to become a breakout success to offer a worthwhile job. Engineers in China moving into robotics describe the higher salaries and greater responsibilities drawing them in, even when they doubt their new employers will survive.
- Robotics companies can raise money quickly. Learning to build reliable products takes longer. Unitree investor Huang Jinping explains why years of engineering and commercial experience matter when assessing the sector’s young companies.
- A robot that performs onstage is not necessarily ready for everyday work. Unitree’s account of the gap between demonstrations and practical use shows why engineering experience matters, and why there is still plenty of it to acquire.