Software Engineer edition: Startup vs FAANG

Although my experience may not be extensive, I hope to offer some insight for those who are starting out or currently considering a career at a startup or big tech company. • Smaller Work Effort to Impact Ratio Since there are hundreds and thousands of engineers working on software that the company owns, even if your team launches a new product and a lot of customers use it, you don’t feel as much impact as if you were to launch a product at a startup. Working at a very early start up After I quit Amazon, I moved to New York City to join a startup as a cofounder. Although launching a new product at a big tech company can be used by a lot more people, the same experience at an early stage startup feels much more grand. There are days when I attend a pop up to advertise for the company, spend time planning marketing strategy, reaching out to customers, and much more.