Accounting is a goddamn mess. There’s lots of mistakes in accounting, finance, banking, etc but we’re supposed to act to outsiders like they never happen. Publicly traded companies (US) get audited every year, but no audit company would give a paying customer a failing grade. New grads are funneled into working for public firms - the 10 or so companies that cater to the world’s audit, tax, and consulting needs. They’re supposed to teach discipline, but in reality they only teach you security theater. You’re worked to the bone until you either burn out or agree to perpetuate the system to keep your job.
And the only reason it continues to work is society’s social contract agreeing that it has to work because we don’t have any other options. All it takes is the rumors that the idea is failing - like in the silicon valley bank run - and we’re all out of luck. With the speed of information these days all it takes is a few minutes for a situation to spiral out of control. It’s bonkers.
I got into accounting because I enjoyed bookkeeping in high school. Now that I’m in it I refuse to work for anything larger than a mid sized, non public company.
Ehh, so a counterargument is we now have “control audits” aka soc1 type2 audits that test whether management fix their stuff without external eyes. That hasGREATLY increased the fidelity of all public companies. Yeah mistakes happen, but the controls get pretty robust after only a few years.
Bro this is the fucking world! It’s just smoke and mirrors. Like the commercials. Everyone at McDonald’s smiling and happy and loving their job. Then look at reality.
That’s every job, every field. It’s just held together by duct tape and bubble gum.
It’s just held together by duct tape and bubble gum.
🔥 Hot take: Applies to the mainstream tech industry too in my eyes… an abundance of unstable implementations and hacks that can break at a moment’s notice - all prettied up with a fresh coat of paint so it “looks and feels new” to sell a new license each year or give the user a reason to keep paying that subscription. No value added whatsoever.
Fintech, construction (Solidworks, Autodesk), media & design (Adobe CC), Microsoft (Windows, office), the whole lot
Accounting is a goddamn mess. There’s lots of mistakes in accounting, finance, banking, etc but we’re supposed to act to outsiders like they never happen. Publicly traded companies (US) get audited every year, but no audit company would give a paying customer a failing grade. New grads are funneled into working for public firms - the 10 or so companies that cater to the world’s audit, tax, and consulting needs. They’re supposed to teach discipline, but in reality they only teach you security theater. You’re worked to the bone until you either burn out or agree to perpetuate the system to keep your job.
And the only reason it continues to work is society’s social contract agreeing that it has to work because we don’t have any other options. All it takes is the rumors that the idea is failing - like in the silicon valley bank run - and we’re all out of luck. With the speed of information these days all it takes is a few minutes for a situation to spiral out of control. It’s bonkers.
I got into accounting because I enjoyed bookkeeping in high school. Now that I’m in it I refuse to work for anything larger than a mid sized, non public company.
So basically, everyone is full of bullshit and lying to keep the system working.
Why am I not surprised?
Ehh, so a counterargument is we now have “control audits” aka soc1 type2 audits that test whether management fix their stuff without external eyes. That hasGREATLY increased the fidelity of all public companies. Yeah mistakes happen, but the controls get pretty robust after only a few years.
Bro this is the fucking world! It’s just smoke and mirrors. Like the commercials. Everyone at McDonald’s smiling and happy and loving their job. Then look at reality.
That’s every job, every field. It’s just held together by duct tape and bubble gum.
🔥 Hot take: Applies to the mainstream tech industry too in my eyes… an abundance of unstable implementations and hacks that can break at a moment’s notice - all prettied up with a fresh coat of paint so it “looks and feels new” to sell a new license each year or give the user a reason to keep paying that subscription. No value added whatsoever.
Fintech, construction (Solidworks, Autodesk), media & design (Adobe CC), Microsoft (Windows, office), the whole lot
Adobe and Microsoft should be dismantled. Both are some of the worst monopolies in existence!
And there are what, 4 major accounting firms now, so it’s not like a public company that cared about a good audit has much choice.