Kind of agree to this but again the leave policies help a lot though

Generalist

Software Developer

If you stick on to the startup for a long time you may become an ceo of the firm, but in big companies that is impossible.

Bruh. That's a very vague take tbh. Not all SDEs want to be founders. Out of whom actually want to be a founder, only 1% are capable to be one

If the candidate have the talent to survive, he can survive in both startups and big companies

So giving my 2 cents here: 
  
 Go for MNC in an earlier career (FAANG) if possible and try to work and learn the best practices, just don't sit ideal to enjoy food and other stuff. 
  
 After that switch to a startup since they will be paying a hike like crazy because HR of startups treat big MNCs employees like GOD😂. 
  
 Startups are brutal in general (highly team dependent), the amount of work I get done in a month is equivalent to a year in MNC 🥲

I kinda agree with this take but once as a fresher you get minimal work and a lot of free food and stuff so 80% of them are bound to get distracted and not know the best practices from core

Get an offer from both, Show MNC offer to negotiate with startup if money is a point of concern.  
  
 Otherwise, join startups, the connections you made there are more valuable and long term than any corporate. Also corporate see you just asan employee but if you join a good startups you will be a little more than that.

What is your take on Software engineering learning in a startup than in a Big tech ? Like how does it impact one's career growth ?    P.S. Please consider Zomato etc. to be big tech and not startup...

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

What is your take on Software engineering learning in a startup than in a Big tech ? Like how does it impact one's career growth ? 


P.S. Please consider Zomato etc. to be big tech and not startups. Thank you

Startups vs Big Tech

Startups vs Big Tech- Grapevine

To the people who've experienced both ends of spectrum, as an new grad, which is better overall?

Startup VS Tech Giants

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

What, in your view, is the difference between tech startups and tech-enabled startups?

For example, in my humble opinion, Swiggy, Zomato, CRED, and PayTM are tech-enabled startups. I can name only a few Indian tech startups, such as InMobi and Ather. (There may be more, It’s just i don’t know). This also suggests that India's startup scene is dominated by tech-enabled startups. 

In contrast, Amazon may have started as a tech-enabled e-commerce company, but it is now a fully-fledged tech company. They ship software, technologies, etc. Why isn't it the case with India's tech-enabled startups?

Additionally, I would like to know how difficult it is to secure venture capital (VC) funding for tech startups.

Tech vs Tech-Enabled Startups

Data Scientist

Hi,
I am a 2023 passout btech graduate. Currently I am working as a full time SDE (Full Stack) in a well established startup (8 years old , Series A funded). It's been nearly half year here.

My compensation is 10.5 lakh base + 4.5 lakh performance bonus + free lunch and snacks + Insurance (Including parents) benefits 

I am pretty good at DSA (around 2000 rating on leetcode, 4 Star at codechef in 2nd year itself, 2000+ dsa problems)

I have worked in 2 startups as an SDE intern during college days and completed 5 internships overall out of which one was a US based startup. Also, I have many publications under my name over the internet.

I had many offers when I was graduating from college.

Most of the time people say, "Hey, you have done so much so Why are you not working in a big tech". Well I always wanted to work for big tech during college days but after I started working in startups my thought process changed  as here I got the ownership of the product.

Now it has been nearly 1 year since I started working in startups. Should I give it a try for big tech now?

Would like to hear your views guys

Am I doing something wrong?

Folks working in FAANG or comparable large tech companies, do you miss your startup days, does big tech give same level of exposure and learning opportunities. What do you miss the most ?

With well funded startups I see a few benefits - 
1. Not being cash strapped so more stability
2. Large scale so good exposure and impact 
3. Good engineering practices as large startups are open to adopt and provide resources for learning and integrating new technologies
4. Company still has speed of execution hence plenty of exciting work
5. Comparable pay scale to big tech companies

What are some added benefits of large tech companies now that layoffs have become a common trend across the industry ?

FAANG vs Well Funded Startups

Software Engineer

I’ve been noticing a trend lately and wanted to see if anyone else feels the same. After about 10 years in the tech industry, it seems like a lot of us are shifting towards people or product management roles instead of continuing deep technical work. I get that management roles often come with perks, but it feels like we’re losing out on technical growth.

With how fast the tech space is changing and AI taking over a lot of things, it feels even more crucial to stay updated technically. Is anyone else struggling with this? Is it any different in startups versus big tech companies? How are you dealing with it? Are there ways to stay technically sharp while still advancing your career? Any decision making framework/parameter to evaluate career growth?

The Dilemma of Mid-Career Engineers

Director of Engineering

hello viners,

Want to know about startups which are doing AI based solutions in the manufacturing / process industry.

which are the current big names and how does the future look like?

startups doing AI based solutions in manufacturing / process industry

Product Manager

3 years in Google
16+ years of experience
8+ years of EM experience
Google hiring committee member

Ask me anything

EM at Google, AMA

Software Project Manager

Came across this post on X recently, the point sounds valid in my opinion but wanted to know from the community cuz I recently took a decision between a unicorn b2c start-u which is super popular vs a b2b SaaS startup which is known among the tech community.

Post link: https://twitter.com/amuldotexe/status/1738243872231428484?t=V2-6pMSYCvl7L-w_f8IggQ&s=19

A big name in tech Vs 0-1 high growth place

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working as a SDE at a startup with about three years of experience. I'm considering making a move, and I've received an offer from an early-stage startup where I'd be joining as a founding engineer.
My main motivation for wanting to switch to some startup is the potential for high learning and growth opportunities, especially since I'm still relatively early in my career. However, I'm a bit torn between targeting multinational corporations (MNCs) like FAANG and sticking with startups.On one hand, MNCs offer more stability and potentially valuable stock options, which can be more than just paper money. 
So, my question is, should I prioritize learning and growth by staying with startups, or should I also consider the FAANG tag and potential stock benefits? Also Would there be any added advantage when I later interview at some FAANG , after working as a founding engineer for 3-4 years in some startup (given I’ll have to build multiple things from scratch and owning multiple modules). The base package for the offer I hold is roughly 
equivalent to what FAANGs pay at my level.

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Seeking genuine advice FAANG or Startups ?

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

Hi, 

I was curious as to how one can join companies like zomato, swiggy, zerodha etc when there are no job posts from them? What is the way to join these big B2C brands? 

And how should one prepare for the same? Any suggestion would be a Great plus! 

Thanks and regards

Jobs like big B2C brands?

Associate Product Manager

How can one specifically target startups and succeed? While many pursue top MNCs or MAANG, getting entry can be challenging. I am keen on working with small startups. Has anyone experienced working in startups in Bengaluru or other locations where both good pay and learning opportunities are available? In terms of job search, is LinkedIn/Naukri or referrals more effective? When preparing for interviews, should one focus more on DSA rounds or development skills? What are the pors & cons or tips? Plz share your insights. Thanks

Working in a start-up

Hey everyone,

I'm currently working as a SDE at a startup with about three years of experience. I'm considering making a move, and I've received an offer from an early-stage startup where I'd be joining as a founding engineer.
My main motivation for wanting to switch to some startup is the potential for high learning and growth opportunities, especially since I'm still relatively early in my career. However, I'm a bit torn between targeting multinational corporations (MNCs) like FAANG and sticking with startups.On one hand, MNCs offer more stability and potentially valuable stock options, which can be more than just paper money. 
So, my question is, should I prioritize learning and growth by staying with startups, or should I also consider the FAANG tag and potential stock benefits? Also Would there be any added advantage when I later interview at some FAANG , after working as a founding engineer for 3-4 years in some startup (given I’ll have to build multiple things from scratch and owning multiple modules). The base package for the offer I hold is roughly equivalent to what FAANGs pay at my level.

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Seeking advice - FAANG or startup?

I've been in startups for the last 8 years. From Series B/C onwards to even a unicorn, over time worked at 3. 
One of them was an outright scam, raised many millions of $s from top investors, and then ultimately died. 
Also close with CXOs at decent sized startups, and there is a pattern out there. 

A few thoughts:
1. Being a startup founder is tough. There's pain. Some people thrive in pain. AKA Masochists. Know how to spot a founder who works 15 hours a day because they love their vision vs. somebody who works 15 hours a day because they're masochists. These people thrive in pain, and hence love to see you miserable as you slog away the hours under their leadership. 

There is absolutely no vision for the future that they have. They do it for the fame, money, and cause a lot of pain in the process. Nothing good comes out of it. Investors love this breed.
   
2. I wish I'd done more than just leave the scammy startup. At the point, I decided against whistleblowing. Because I thought there's so many people employed here, they would all be impacted. Over time, 200-300 people more joined after I left. Once the scam was caught, all of them lost their jobs.
   
3. I'm not a coder. I'm a generalist. Over time, my pay grew but not in line with my peers who went into consulting/VC and then came back to big tech/startups. Over time, you disadvantage yourself if you stick around as a generalist in startups for too long. The next team pays you at some premium over the last one, there's no step jump. 
You need to somehow find a successful startup early, and genuinely, that is impossible to game - even VCs have to bet on 20 to get it right.

These are a few disjointed thoughts. I hope they give some insight.
My only takeaways:
- If you work at a scammy startup, don't stand it. At least, don't stick around. 
- I earn lesser than my peers (tier 1 undergrad), but I regret nothing. I love my work, and I'll never get over the kick. I cannot imagine working at a larger company ever again.
- Ultimately, you have to be optimistic. Believe that India will grow, good founders will come around, magic will happen ❤️

PSA: What 8 years in startups have taught me

A startup with experienced folks and a well defined set of roles and responsibilities >>> one where we're all "a family"

Founder

Hi folks, thinking of writing a regular mini blog here about my learnings being a generalist in the ecosystem.
I currently handle growth at an ecom startup and have previously been through 2-3 startups + a large corporate in my 7 year career.

#1: Why you should not stay only in startups

Recently started reflecting on salaries of many peers who are also startup folks and trying to see where it stands.
There are 3 cohorts:
a. People who started out in Big 4/Corporate & then became a generalist: They've been underpaid the most. First pay was 4-5L, and when they transitioned to startups, started at 7-9L. Over time, growing from there is difficult without MBA.

b. People who have forever been in startups: They earn more than A on average. But here too, there is a delta in their salaries vs. people with same YoE who went to an MBA and are in corporate now. Side note: I've seen this cohort has usually loved what they've done, and being in startups definitely has positively impacted their thought process.

c. People who went to a corporate/big tech etc. mid way: This cohort has done the best long term. Their pay got recalibrated when they went to a larger company in the middle through their career, and when they rejoined startups, they were respected more in salary negotiation.

This is to anybody out there who is a generalist and sees a similar path. Try to sandwich a proper, large company in your career. It gives you perspective on whether you like it and if startups is really your preferred route. And it also recalibrates your pay.

Startups will limit you basis your last salary. Corporates have standards basis bands. Just something to think over.

NOTE: Do share feedback, if this makes sense. And if you'd like to read more of these too.

The Generalist - #1: Why you should not stay only in startups

Not only compensation, corporates help you to learn saying “NO” to not-related tasks. I see young startup folks in the name of “learning” are forced to do anything and everything. In my first startup role, I was handling the responsibilities of a PM + ops, which burnt me like anything without any significant skills gain. Corporate taught me delegation, saying “No” to things which aren’t part of your team.

Corporate Strategist

Hi Grapevine, 

I'm Arnav, Director of Engg at Jio Cinema. I previously exited my startup to Scaler. Some of you may know me from ScalerPod. I've also led engineering teams at Zomato & Target. 

Here to chat with you about my journey in startups, leading engineering teams, and products at scale, among other things.

Ask me your question. I'll be back at 8 pm and begin answering!

I'm Arnav Gupta, Director of Engineering at Jio Cinema. Ask me anything!

Why is jiocinema so effin horrible to use on Samsung tvs ? Just fix this shit already.

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