u/Fantastic_Ad3602

Building a startup right now (I was part of YC recently). On paper everything is fine, we have ~50k ARR and raised some. But I open Twitter (or X) or this sub and see another founder posting their $1M ARR milestone and I feel this dumb stab of jealousy every single time.

Logically I know better. I know comparison is the thief of joy or whatever. None of it helps in the moment.

I'm genuinely proud of what we've built AND I feel like we're moving too slow. Both at the same time, all the time.

Idk what to do, just venting.

I'm choosing between Waterloo (CS or Comp Eng) and Oxford (CS) as a Singaporean

My priorities:

1. End up working in US tech making good money
2. Not lose my mind in a cohort full of people gunning each other down
3. Keep options open for grad school / startups later

Waterloo: co-op pipeline straight into FAANG / quant / startups, huge alumni network in SF and NYC, the brand is basically a hiring shortcut for US recruiters. The thing that turns me off is the cohort is massive (1000+ in CS) and from what I've read it can be pretty leetcode-grindy with people treating each other as competition more than peers. I really don't want that to be my next four years.

Oxford: way smaller cohort, tutorial system means actual relationships with profs, three-year degree (and I can maybe do masters in the US), brand carries globally. What I can't get a clear read on is how well Oxford CS actually places into US tech. No co-op, no obvious recruiting pipeline, plus the visa headache. I don't want to be the guy who took the "prestigious" path and ended up locked out of the US market.

I'm choosing between Waterloo (CS or Comp Eng) and Oxford (CS) as a Singaporean citizen!

My priorities:

1. End up working in US tech making good money
2. Not lose my mind in a cohort full of people gunning each other down
3. Keep options open for grad school / startups later

Waterloo: co-op pipeline straight into FAANG / quant / startups, huge alumni network in SF and NYC, the brand is basically a hiring shortcut for US recruiters. The thing that turns me off is the cohort is massive (1000+ in CS) and from what I've read it can be pretty leetcode-grindy with people treating each other as competition more than peers. I really don't want that to be my next four years.

Oxford: way smaller cohort, tutorial system means actual relationships with profs, three-year degree (and I can maybe do masters in the US), brand carries globally. What I can't get a clear read on is how well Oxford CS actually places into US tech. No co-op, no obvious recruiting pipeline, plus the visa headache. I don't want to be the guy who took the "prestigious" path and ended up locked out of the US market.