I love this article! You gave me an idea to write an article on my board about a burnout in similar situations. Where do you burn out more? In big Tech or start up? Any thoughts?
Oh sheesh, it's too hard to say. I'd lean toward a startup given the fast pace and less process for work-life balance. Not to say there isn't a ton of burnout in big tech, especially depending on the team.
Loved this article and the system design content on Hello Interview!
Coming from someone who worked in Big Tech and then transitioned to a startup, this article is very comprehensive in terms of good questions to ask both a Big Tech and a startup in helping you evaluate your opportunity. The final part of the article was my favorite part because it tied everything from the earlier sections together along with a caveat that your risk tolerance can and will change and nothing is set in stone
Couple thoughts/questions:
1. I saw that when the article talked about "startups", it seemed to mostly focus on "early stage startups". Just to be clear, are we defining "early stage" as "startup that is trying to find PMF"?
If so, I'd also add that late stage startups (like hypergrowth/series C+) such as Rippling, Brex, Retool, Stripe, etc from what I've seen can offer a mix between the benefits of Big Tech and the fast/dynamic culture of a startup.
2. The questions to ask section are good ones. I also personally like asking these questions (startup or Big Tech):
* To a manager: Describe a recent blunder (technical, strategic, etc) that your team had to deal with. How did YOU handle it? This question helps me get a sense of how the prospective team views mistakes/mishaps since humans make errors
* If you had no time and budget constraints, what is something you'd change about the company to propel it to greater heights?
* What does growth look like in the company and/or your team? Can you give an example
3. Loved the advice of asking to talk to an engineer or manager in the team for a coffee chat where you can ask them anything. When I interviewed for a startup, I asked my recruiter for time with an engineer in the same org/team. They actually organized a half day for me to come in the office with lunch covered! Was able to get a lot of helpful datapoints and a great sample of what the day to day could look like
I love this article! You gave me an idea to write an article on my board about a burnout in similar situations. Where do you burn out more? In big Tech or start up? Any thoughts?
Oh sheesh, it's too hard to say. I'd lean toward a startup given the fast pace and less process for work-life balance. Not to say there isn't a ton of burnout in big tech, especially depending on the team.
Agree. In my opinion, Bigtech will burn you out if you have toxic culture around you.
Great read, just when am interviewing at both.
good article
What about starting at a big tech then going to a start up 1-2 years and then going back to big tech. Viable ?
Loved this article and the system design content on Hello Interview!
Coming from someone who worked in Big Tech and then transitioned to a startup, this article is very comprehensive in terms of good questions to ask both a Big Tech and a startup in helping you evaluate your opportunity. The final part of the article was my favorite part because it tied everything from the earlier sections together along with a caveat that your risk tolerance can and will change and nothing is set in stone
Couple thoughts/questions:
1. I saw that when the article talked about "startups", it seemed to mostly focus on "early stage startups". Just to be clear, are we defining "early stage" as "startup that is trying to find PMF"?
If so, I'd also add that late stage startups (like hypergrowth/series C+) such as Rippling, Brex, Retool, Stripe, etc from what I've seen can offer a mix between the benefits of Big Tech and the fast/dynamic culture of a startup.
2. The questions to ask section are good ones. I also personally like asking these questions (startup or Big Tech):
* To a manager: Describe a recent blunder (technical, strategic, etc) that your team had to deal with. How did YOU handle it? This question helps me get a sense of how the prospective team views mistakes/mishaps since humans make errors
* If you had no time and budget constraints, what is something you'd change about the company to propel it to greater heights?
* What does growth look like in the company and/or your team? Can you give an example
3. Loved the advice of asking to talk to an engineer or manager in the team for a coffee chat where you can ask them anything. When I interviewed for a startup, I asked my recruiter for time with an engineer in the same org/team. They actually organized a half day for me to come in the office with lunch covered! Was able to get a lot of helpful datapoints and a great sample of what the day to day could look like