London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jun 24, 2026

Ex-Facebook engineer posts YouTube videos mocking the culture and joking about how he was fired

Patrick Shyu, a former tech lead at Google, has posted a series of videos making fun of Facebook, where he worked as a software engineer until last month. Shyu criticizes the company’s culture, calling it a “popularity contest,” where ideas and projects are driven by likes and comments rather than logic. Shyu’s YouTube channel has more than 500,000 subscribers and he says in a video that he makes more money from it than he made at Google or Facebook.

A former Facebook software engineer named Patrick Shyu took to his YouTube channel this week to post a video called “Day in the Life of a Facebook Software Engineer.”

It’s not about any ordinary day, but rather the day Facebook fired him just over a month ago. In the clip, he pretends to walk into a meeting with a human resources representative, who fires him, in part because she didn’t like his YouTube channel. Shyu then proceeds to make fun of Facebook and criticize its culture, calling it a “popularity contest,” where ideas and projects are driven by likes and comments instead of logic.

“Imagine receiving multiple notifications every day where people are just telling me what they’ve accomplished, how great they are,” Shyu said in the video.

Shyu, whose “TechLead” YouTube channel has over 500,000 subscribers, has been routinely poking Facebook, publishing six videos about getting fired since the day he says he was dismissed, Aug. 26. On that day, he posted a video titled “I got fired from Facebook (for having a YouTube channel),” which he shot from his car after apparently leaving the office. He also tweeted out the announcement with a link to the video.

“I know that everybody is shocked,” he said. “And at a dire time like this, I feel like what we really need to do is just take a pause, and thank our sponsor.” He then launches into an advertisement.

Shyu joined Facebook in May 2018 and previously spent almost four years at Google, according to his LinkedIn profile. While at Google, he worked in the office in San Bruno, California, where YouTube is based.

Many of his videos give insights into the life of software developers. They typically get between a few hundred thousand and over 1 million views. In a Sept. 9 video titled, “How much I make on 1,000,000 YouTube views (after getting fired from Facebook),” he says that he’s probably making well over $500,000 on the site.

“It’s funny that I’m generating more on YouTube than what I made as a tech lead at Google or as a staff software engineer at Facebook,” he said.

In the latest video this week, Shyu said Facebook employees have to constantly boast about their mundane accomplishments on Workplace, the company’s internal social network, in order to get ahead.

“It’s kind of this game for people to get as many likes and comments on their posts,” he said. “If you’re into popularity contests, if you thrive in that type of environment then you’ll probably do really well.”

Facebook’s culture was described as “cult-like” by former employees who spoke with CNBC in January for a report about the company’s performance review system.

Shyu and Facebook did not respond to requests for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Biotechnology Sector Receives Increased Public Funding to Support Regional Growth
Police Chiefs Update National Protest Management Guidelines Amid Rising Demonstration Activity
UK Aviation Regulator Expands Support for Regional Airports to Strengthen Domestic Routes
CMA Launches Investigation Into Retail Pricing Across UK Grocery Sector
UK Energy Operator Warns of Winter Supply Pressures Despite Stable Overall Grid Outlook
UK Research Council Expands Funding for Regional Biotechnology and Life Sciences Clusters
UK Compensation Scheme for Post Office Horizon Scandal Reaches 80 Percent Completion
Police Chiefs Issue Updated National Guidance on Managing Large Public Demonstrations
UK Expands Regional Airport Funding Scheme to Boost Domestic Connectivity
UK Competition Watchdog Launches Inquiry Into Grocery Pricing Practices
National Grid Warns of Tight Energy Management Needs During Upcoming Winter Peak Demand
UK Education Department Introduces National Standards for AI Use in Secondary Schools
UK High Court Clears North Sea Carbon Capture Project After Final Legal Challenge Fails
Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Emergency Talks on Trade Disruption Under Windsor Framework
Welsh Government Moves to Expand Social Housing in Response to Severe Affordability Pressures
UK Economy Sees Unexpected Rise in Business Investment in Second Quarter, ONS Data Shows
Scottish Government Unveils Multi-Billion Pound Investment Plan for Renewable Energy and Grid Expansion
UK and EU Agree Enhanced Defence Cooperation Pact Covering Intelligence and North Sea Security
Prime Minister Orders Independent Review of NHS Performance After Record Waiting Lists
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 5 Percent as Services Inflation Remains Persistent
UK Heatwave Disrupts Transport, Healthcare and Public Services as Red Weather Alerts Expand Nationwide
Barclays Warns of Growing Cyber Risk Divide Between Large UK Firms and Micro Businesses
European Defence Plans Including Ukraine Integration Prompt UK Strategic Reassessment
UK Equity Markets React as US–Iran Peace Roadmap Eases Oil Price Pressures
United Kingdom Expands Global Clean Energy Partnerships With Brazil, Morocco and Tanzania
Lord David Frost Urges Incoming UK Leadership to Abandon EU Regulatory Reset Strategy
Housing Groups Support Amendment to Strengthen Fire and Gas Safety Access Powers in Social Housing
South London NHS Estates Staff Ballot on Industrial Action Over Pay Structures in Hospital Maintenance Services
United Kingdom Government Invests £60 Million in AI Research Labs at Oxford and University College London
Barclays Cyber Security Report Highlights Rising Threat Exposure Among UK Small Businesses in AI-Driven Attacks
UK Met Office Heatwave Triggers Transport Warnings as Rail Operators Urge Cancellations Amid Infrastructure Strain
South London NHS Estates Workers Ballot for Strike Action Over Pay Disputes Across Major London Hospitals
Barclays Warns of Severe Cyber Security Gap Between Large Corporations and Small Businesses in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Government Allocates £60 Million for Artificial Intelligence Research Laboratories at Oxford and UCL
National Health Service Approves Teplizumab Treatment to Delay Onset of Type One Diabetes in First European Rollout
Met Office Issues Rare Red Extreme Heat Warning Across London, South East and West Midlands as Transport and Health Systems Face Disruption
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Resigns After Labour Party Revolt Following Economic Stagnation and Local Election Losses
United Kingdom Economy Contracts for Second Consecutive Month as Private Sector Weakens and Job Loss Fears Rise
Taxpayer Support Grows for Higher Digital Levies on Multinational Tech Companies
Bank of England Signals Caution Over Inflation Despite Easing Energy Prices
Lloyds Banking Group Expands Artificial Intelligence Hiring Amid Sector-Wide Automation Shift
Film Producer Corporate Collapse Leaves Creditors Facing Unrecoverable Losses
UK Ten-Year Brexit Anniversary Highlights Ongoing Political and Economic Uncertainty
Nottingham Maternity Scandal Inquiry Reveals Systemic Failings in NHS Care
Met Office Heatwave Prompts Public Health Warnings Across United Kingdom
Concerns Rise Over Fiscal Stability as Political Uncertainty Weighs on UK Borrowing Costs
UK Taxpayers Back Higher Digital Taxes on Global Technology Firms, Survey Shows
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Persistent Services Inflation
Reform UK and Opposition Leaders Call for General Election Following Starmer’s Departure
Ten Years After Brexit Referendum, UK Faces Ongoing Political Fragmentation and Economic Debate
×