Ask HN: Startups vs Big Companies: Which do you prefer?
My heart and gut is telling me that I should go with the Web3 startup, no matter how much I convince myself otherwise. My mom is largely warning me against the idea of me joining one and pushes the idea of a "stable" job on me.
I get where she comes from, but even with my tech choices I was historically not the "default" or "most popular" type, I liked trying something different. Well, unless I really like a particular piece of software, like with FreeBSD, where I am a committer. But even then, my FreeBSD laptop is a very new HP Spectre x360 14 and not the "safe" option of a 10-year-old ThinkPad X220/T420, and I like Gnome even if everyone else doesn't.
Going back, I feel more entrepreneurial and not cut out for a "corporate job", I want to innovate on my job and take ownership. At the same time, with other important metrics like work-life balance and compensation, a "big company" also has its wins. But even at Microsoft I do have times when I am pretty much idle (even if I ask for work) nor do I want to work in "Big Data" forever either.
For reference, the startup is a Series B company. I also have interviews with another series C Web3 company, and a "big" firm (not FAANGMULA, but more like Pinterest or Dropbox sized).
However, about you all HN readers, especially those who worked at both startups and big companies (doesn't have to be FAANG), which do you prefer and why? I am leaning towards the Web3 startup if I get it, but also want other perspectives.
Yes, I did have an internship at a (now-dead) crypto CDN startup who almost hired me full-time, well before Microsoft came in.