Question for some people with good experience - I’m a new engineer looking to build my coding/bunsiess skills as quickly as possible. I currently do not care about TC, I just want to have lots of responsibility and get good. Is working for a small startup generally a better way to do this over a large FAANG company?
Yes. A large company will have you siloed into a narrow scope of work and you won’t have much business decision exposure at junior levels.
Haven’t worked at FAANG yet but having been at startups I’d say probably FAANG. Unless you have a really good startup
You could end up doing something monotonous even in a small startup. Lot depends on your team, tech stack, domain etc. Interview with both and ask these questions in your interview.
FAANG - C.R.E.A.M.
There is no guarantee you'll learn in a startup more than at a faang. You'll probably have to wear multiple hats as well which is something to consider if you are into that or plan on starting your own company later. On the other hand a faang will definitely pay you more and open more doors in future. You'll get more stability and benefits as well.
Fang is a much wiser choice to start your career. Go to a startup right after once you know what good engineering and good pay looks like. The former is important to evaluate engineering teams you'd be working with at a startup you'd want to join later in your career, and the latter is important so you know your worth. If your eventual goal is to start your own company, having worked at fang will give you peace of mind in knowing you a safety net. It will show your value to investors and employees who may want to join you - trust me, we all look for signals to measure people. Working at a startup will show you what to expect and whether it is for you. I'd start with fang anyday.
I worked at a startup before joining FB. I feel like I’ve learned more in the past 4 months at FB than I learned in my entire time at the startup. One thing you must consider is how the scale and maturity of the engineering in FANG is unparalleled by most startups.
FAANG , unless you’re startup becomes great , people will have doubts about your skills. You will start at a lower level compared to your peers. Your learning in a startup will depend upon the team you work with. If you want to really try startup , join FAANG for a few years get $$ and brand and then try your luck.
You’ll learn more and broader skill sets at a smaller firm. But in current year the monetary gains from working at a FAANG overwhelm any other consideration. Unless you have money or family money already, or an extraordinary opportunity, faang+ is probably the right move.