From Facebook to Formation: A Career Journey

Sophie Novati‘s career journey is quite inspiring. She first joined Facebook as an engineering intern back in 2011, during a time when the company was buzzing with energy and creativity.

Back then, the office felt a lot like college with everyone working hard while also having fun. Sophie remembers her coworkers sleeping at the office and everyone feeling like buddies just hanging out.

After spending some time at Facebook, Sophie made a move to Nextdoor, where she became its second iOS engineer hire. She played a significant role in building the platform before she launched her own company, Formation, in 2019.

Formation offers various subscription packages aimed at helping engineers secure jobs or boost their earnings. Job seekers pay between $2,500 and $20,000 for services like resume reviews and mock interviews.

During her time at Facebook, Sophie noticed that being a woman in engineering made her feel alone, often being one of just a few women in her department. Inspired by her experiences at Facebook and Nextdoor, she wanted to help others navigate the job market.

So far, Formation has assisted over 1,300 job seekers, helping them secure an average pay raise of $127,286. This success is partly due to a unique lesson she learned from her former boss, Mark Zuckerberg.

One night back in 2011, Sophie played chess with Zuckerberg. It was during this late-night game that she bravely asked how Facebook planned to make money. At the time, the social network was growing rapidly but not making any profits.

Zuckerberg shared a key insight: if you can find a way to grab people’s attention, there’s always a way to make money later. He emphasized the importance of delivering value first before worrying about profit.

Sophie has carried that advice into her work with Formation. Instead of fixating on client numbers, she focuses on demonstrating the value her company brings to engineers’ lives.

She believes that her program offers something far more valuable than a traditional college education, helping people earn significantly more without the hefty price tag.

Thanks to this vision, Formation has attracted over $8.5 million in funding and collaborates with companies like Meta and Twitch. Sophie is committed to improving job prospects for engineers and enhancing their career paths.