Why does the tech company need to be public? Is this just a proxy for “big”? Or do you actually care about the company having shares, perhaps because you like getting RSUs?
That, and the (usually) better work/life balance compared to startups.
Looks like it dates from the 15th century.
Here’s a guess for what you’re experiencing: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases#Fre...
It's more common in tech circles as stats and ML have become more popular.