Serving up technology in the public’s interest—hard, but worth it

Dipayan Ghosh wrote for Mashable about his experience in tech companies and public interest organizations: 

Tech companies can be great places to work.

You’re often exposed to what can seem like an idyllic professional life: brilliant, ambitious, yet down-to-earth colleagues from all corners of the globe; aggressive corporate growth objectives that present an intellectual challenge; pristine offices that can sometimes feel like you’re in a spaceship; perks that can include free transit to and from work, frequent catering and personal visits from world-famous chefs, and my personal favorite, a top-notch gaming center.

And, all of that often comes with a decent salary and maybe even stock options to boot.

But for some engineers and technologists that have served in the industry, there’s often a deep-lying, repressed interest: a desire to do something that’s more directly in the public’s interest.