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Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

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Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#51

Post by SkyPuncher »

micromacrofoot wrote: post #10

I've worked at small companies for 10 years, large companies for 5... and IMO you're not missing anything. After switching back to a small company it's a big relief, much of the big company "experience" is learning to deal with tons of bullshit. Small companies have their own problems to deal with, but to me they feel like actual problems... a lot of big company stuff is kind of corporate theatrics. Maybe it's necess…

> much of the big company "experience" is learning to deal with tons of bullshit.

This has been my experience as well.

* Startups ask you to work on a huge scope of things, but often give you ownership over those things. Politics are minimal and you kind of just do things in the best way you see fit.

* Enterprises ask you to work on a narrow scope, but you have to spend a bunch of time coordinating with a massive amount of other people.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#52

Post by NalNezumi »

gorpomon wrote: post #19

You're not saying what roles you'd try and go for at a big company. If it's robotics, I'm sure they'll assess your tehcnical knowledge and then not sweat the size/scale of your engineering work. If it's a transition into non-robotics software engineering (which is what I'm guessing your friend did), you might not have the level of experience and skill to immediately get a software job at Amazon or other big companies…

Yes that's exactly what my friend did.

I fear exactly what you said that I might not have the level of experience to be able to do the same, and part of that desire is also hinged on the "master of none" part.

I've (so far) not come across any really "big" robotics company (that is not industrial arms related, which to begin with is not that interested in "jack of all trades" and more interested in experts in Software/EE/mechanical separately). So if big company is a goal, less robotics and more "software" is the only reasonable career nudge.

It is encouraging to hear that the diversity in the experience can be seen in a positive light though, so thank you for relieving some of my anxiety surrounding it.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#53

Post by fma »

Why don't you just work at one or two big company and get your FOMO out of the way? The worse case is you make more money (hopefully?) and hate it but you never need to look back, while your best case is a much higher ceiling.

You're 30 years old, assuming you work for another 30 doing 1-2 years at 1 or 2 big corp isn't much.

I mean from my personal experience, it's really the team within the big corp that you work at that matters. The big corp can try to drive a cultural and larger goals but that the end of the day it's your manager and peers that has the most say in your work and happiness so if you're interviewing, I'd really focus on getting to know your peers, manager an if you get a chance, your manager's manager (director title, most likely)

I'd never say the experience at 1 startup would be the same as another - so why people are saying you'll have the same experience at 1 big corp compared to another, or even a team within the same big corp...is beyond me.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#55

Post by sasawpg »

dilyevsky wrote: post #50
sasawpg wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And great experience to be gained by working with 100s/1000s of diverse team members across the world.

You’re not working with 100s you still working with same number of people (under 10) who just shuffle out due to constant reorgs, transfers, etc

Entirely depends on your org and your role. I work closely with 20-30 people, regularly with 50, and less frequently with 100+. Since joining I have closely worked with 100-200 (not at the same time of course). I've had the ability to work in different roles/teams across the organization, which is not possible in smaller orgs.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#56

Post by steveylang »

Theres also the nice middle-ground of smaller but more established companies. They may not IPO any time soon but aren’t so chaotic, and also don’t have the multiple levels of bureaucracy of a big company.

Usually in these companies roles aren’t as formally defined, so you can grow in skills and experience even if the company is never going to be a unicorn or re-define the future of ‘XYZ’.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#57

Post by lovebes »

fatnoah wrote: post #36

I spent the first 17 years of my career at startups and am going on year 7 at big companies. I really think people should experience both. Startups offer the chance to actually experience and solve many of the same problems faced by big companies. This provides invaluable experience in understanding these problems from the ground up and the benefit of learning from doing, even if not building the optimal solution. At…

I'm going on year 6 of my software development career. I marvel at people doing this for 20+ years, and hope I can be that person some day. Thanks for the insight.

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#58

Post by [deleted] »

sasawpg wrote: post #35
legitster wrote: post #20

I'll go against the grain and say that working in startups has been hugely overrated. Each time I worked way harder for less money, and dealing directly with the owner/ceo makes everything so much more complicated. At a bigger company, sure it can be a bureaucratic mess - but I have been much personally happier every time. I get more resources, better pay, and much better work/life balance. I didn't realize how unhap…

That last sentence speaks volumes - it all depends on your personality and situation. Currently I have no appetite for the startup risk and no time/desire to work myself to death on a daily basis just to see a startup succeed (or more often, fail). Work-life balance is of far more importance to me right now than anything else, including compensation (especially when broken down to an hourly wage).

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#59

Post by stared »

NalNezumi wrote: post #46
stared wrote: post #39

> As I haven't really worked at big companies, I've always had this nascent feeling that I never really learned "the right way" to do things. I often feel like a "patchwork engineer", learning how things work only sufficiently to make things work in a smaller scale without understanding important big project/organization principles. What you write reads like a typical ADHD Imposter Syndrom. Why do I bring ADHD? Becau…

Thanks for the book recommendation!. I've often wondered about ADHD but since I know a couple of close friends with serious ADHD, I haven't considered it too much as I'm not comparable to my friends level. Although, I tried ADHD medication (through friend) and it was eye opening how easy focusing on one task became, and how nondetrimental context switching and parallel scattered thoughts became for focus and anxiety.

I used to live for two years with my close friend, who has ADHD. Since I were way more organized than him, I assumed I couldn't have ADHD.

Only in the last few years I realized that I have ADHD (thanks for a friend who pointed me to some resources). Yes, including a formal diagnosis. Though this one brought little, except for my parents being mildly annoyed that they cannot keep guilt-tripping for not adhering to their very high standards of tiddiness, punctuality, organization, etc.

I reallly, really wish I had known it ealier. It would save me from a lot of guilt, shame, and approaching things the way that is doomed to failed (the same things could be approached differently).

When it comes to this friend - he is by far a person with the strongest ADHD symptoms above all of my friends with a formal diagnosis.

Medications - I recommend Armodafinil. Though, I would argue that for ADHD the most important factor is not with getting more productive with boring tasks, but finding the right environment (that provides a lot of dopamine).

Re: Ask HN: FOMO by working in startups only vs. Big companies

#60

Post by granshaw »

legitster wrote: post #20

I'll go against the grain and say that working in startups has been hugely overrated. Each time I worked way harder for less money, and dealing directly with the owner/ceo makes everything so much more complicated. At a bigger company, sure it can be a bureaucratic mess - but I have been much personally happier every time. I get more resources, better pay, and much better work/life balance. I didn't realize how unhap…

There are many sizes of "startups" too – many Series C and above you'll probably never have to interact with the CEO directly, WLB improves too, but with lower equity and upside
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