Startup vs. Big Organization: A Software Engineer's Perspective

Ever you wonder which option would you take if you have offers from different companies?

On the last day of my previous job, a colleague asked me a question: "Where are you heading next?" "A startup company," I replied.

I believe many of us have faced the decision of whether to join a startup or a big organization. This is not always an easy decision, especially in a tough and competitive market. However, it is important to choose carefully, because you cannot easily roll back your decision once you have committed to a job.

In this post, I will share my reasons for choosing a startup over a big organization, as well as my concerns about people's choices today. Please keep in mind that these are my personal perspectives, and should be considered as preferences only.

Why I chose a startup

I have worked for several big companies in the past, including Lazada (Vietnam) and Astro (Malaysia). These companies have thousands of employees in multiple locations, so they are definitely big organizations. I appreciate the time I had working with amazing teammates at these companies. However, I believe the biggest problem with joining a big company is the size of your scope of work. Even though there are some exceptional cases where individuals contribute huge impact to the operation (e.g., staff engineers), most people belong to small teams that handle a small part of the company's product. By limiting your scope, your view is also limited. You only focus on small parts of the product, so you have little ability to understand the whole business' domain and architecture.

Another reason I chose a startup is that promotions are not likely to happen frequently at big companies. Again, there are exceptions, but most of the time you won't see people getting promoted often, because the process is complex. Promotions often come with responsibilities that put you in different positions, which forces you to produce better results and outcomes.

In contrast, startups have limited resources, so every position requires people to perform outside the box and expand their scopes and capabilities. Companies at this stage usually focus more on driving product with more releases, which constantly pushes the product closer to customers' needs. Additionally, promotions at startups are usually based on performance rather than complex guidelines or protocols.

Besides promotions, startups also offer the unique experience of working with talented founders and expanding your network significantly. This can be very beneficial for your future career opportunities.

Concerns about people's choices

I am concerned about the increasing popularity of big organizations among young programmers at the early stage of their careers. In my opinion, you should maximize your learning and scopes at the beginning of your career, because you can grow twice as fast when working for a startup.

I see that most juniors (or freshers) choose big organizations because of the high salaries and prestige. I don't deny that working for a big company can instantly bring you a good reputation, which is also important for your career path. However, it can also drown you down very quickly if you don't learn anything there. Not every team in a big organization has the culture to take care of juniors. Seniors often worry about themselves only and leave juniors with no guidance or support.

Conclusion

I believe that both startups and big organizations have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is important to choose the right environment for your career goals and personality. If you are looking for fast-paced learning and the opportunity to work on a variety of projects, then a startup may be a good choice for you. If you are looking for stability and a good salary, then a big organization may be a better fit.

I encourage all young programmers to carefully consider their options before making a decision. Talk to people who have worked in both startups and big organizations to get their perspectives. Ultimately, the best way to decide is to choose the environment that you think will be the most rewarding for you personally and professionally.