Startups vs Big Companies
Make the right choice with a simple framework based on insights from 21 top engineers.
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Executive Summary
Startups or big companies: Which one should you pick for your next job?
Making this decision is hard. So, most people fall back on the usual advice: startups for fast growth, big companies for bigger paychecks.
But relying on stereotypes doesn’t work.
So, we asked engineers at Google, Amazon, Airbnb, and top startups how they made their choice.
This report dives into their insights. We explore how big companies and startups really differ.
Then, we give you a simple framework to figure out where you’ll thrive as an engineer.
By the end of this report, you'll be ready to make a decision based on honest self-reflection—because when it comes to your career, guesswork isn't an option.
It’s no secret that startups are unpredictable, priorities change and engineers have to plan quickly. Whereas, big companies bring structure and predictability. Startups offer adaptability, while big companies provide a clear growth roadmap.
Balance The predictability & uncertainty in startups vs big companies.
It’s no secret that startups are unpredictable, priorities change and engineers have to plan quickly. Whereas, big companies bring structure and predictability. Startups offer adaptability, while big companies provide a clear growth roadmap.
Impact Devs love startups for ownership and big companies for lasting impact.
Engineers love startups for how they can shape the product’s journey, while big companies offer them the chance to shape large-scale projects with a slower reveal of their impact.
Pay Inflated startup salaries are a thing of the past.
Engineers think that while both startups and big companies offer competitive salaries, big companies now lead with higher base pay and better benefits. Startups, on the other hand, emphasize on stock options more.
Startups Startup devs embrace the uncertainty in their work.
For startup developers, chaos isn’t scary—it’s thrilling. They love juggling multiple roles, watching how users respond to their work, and adapting to the ever-changing environment of startups.
Tech Giants Big company devs thrive on the excitement of working at massive scale.
Big company developers are all about mastering scale. They dive into specialized roles, appreciate structured growth, and tackle complex projects that impact millions.
Essentials Goals, Pay, Flexibility—Key factors devs finally consider
Engineers narrow down their decision to three key factors: career goals, salary expectations, and work-life balance. These seem to remain the top priorities throughout any stage of their career.
Chapter 1 : How startups and big companies really differ
Structure
Work and Speed
Learning
Growth
2 more topics
Chapter 2 : Developer Personas for Startups and Big Companies
Startup Developers
Big Companies Developers
Chapter 3 : Where do you belong?
Goals
Pay
Flexibility & Balance
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Founder, Aquaplot
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Kislay Shashwat
VP Finance, CREO
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Co-Founder, Reckit
“The cooperation with Christos was excellent. I can only give positive feedback about him. Besides his general coding, the way of writing tests and preparing documentation has enriched our team very much. It is a great added value in every team.”
Moritz Gruber
CTO, Caisy.io
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Director PM, Plivo Inc
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Neil Shah
Chief of Staff, Prodigal Tech
“Flexiple has been instrumental in helping us grow fast. Their vetting process is top notch and they were able to connect us with quality talent quickly. The team put great emphasis on matching us with folks who were a great fit not only technically but also culturally.”
Tanu V
Founder, Power Router
“Flexiple has exceeded our expectations with their focus on customer satisfaction! The freelancers are brilliant at what they do and have made an immense impact. Highly recommended :)”
Henning Grimm
Founder, Aquaplot
“Overall Flexiple brought in high-level of transparency with extremely quick turnarounds in the hiring process at a significantly lower cost than any alternate options we had considered.”
Kislay Shashwat
VP Finance, CREO
“Todd and I are impressed with the candidates you've gathered. Thank you for your work so far. Thanks for sticking within our budget and helping us to find strong talent. Have loved Flexiple so far — highly entrepreneurial and autonomous talent.”
William Ross
Co-Founder, Reckit
“The cooperation with Christos was excellent. I can only give positive feedback about him. Besides his general coding, the way of writing tests and preparing documentation has enriched our team very much. It is a great added value in every team.”
Moritz Gruber
CTO, Caisy.io
“Flexiple spent a good amount of time understanding our requirements, resulting in accurate recommendations and quick ramp up by developers. We also found them to be much more affordable than other alternatives for the same level of quality.”
Narayan Vyas
Director PM, Plivo Inc
“It's been great working with Flexiple for hiring talented, hardworking folks. We needed a suitable back-end developer and got to know Ankur through Flexiple. We are very happy with his commitment and skills and will be working with Flexiple going forward as well.”
Neil Shah
Chief of Staff, Prodigal Tech
“Flexiple has been instrumental in helping us grow fast. Their vetting process is top notch and they were able to connect us with quality talent quickly. The team put great emphasis on matching us with folks who were a great fit not only technically but also culturally.”
Tanu V
Founder, Power Router
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