Alright, so this is piggybacking a bit off a recent discussion about friction at BigCo. here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31669338
But I have a situation I would like to hear more opinions on because I honestly have no idea what to do.
A little context about me:
- I am in my mid 20s, with no dependents.
- I have only done software consulting as full-time employment. So this would be my first in-house software engineer position.
- I have been contracting with Amazon for the past year.
Coming up in the next 2 weeks, I have a big decision on whether I should accept an offer from Amazon or Small Co (300 employees, 10+ years). The Amazon compensation would be around 20-30k higher per year but I am also really excited by the product that Small Co. is out to build and having worked on the Amazon team for a year I know that the work is un-fulfilling but easy.
Ultimately here is my question: Are the things I learn while building out a brand new product at Small Co worth more long term in my career than the compensation and brand name provided by Big Tech Co?
Additionally, I was told I only passed the interview because I had worked for the team and done well but was a sub-par interviewee. Should I take the barrier to entry into consideration here?
EDIT: For a little more context on Small Co, I would be on a small team (<8 engineers) spinning up a brand new product and not working on their main product.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond!
But I have a situation I would like to hear more opinions on because I honestly have no idea what to do.
A little context about me: - I am in my mid 20s, with no dependents. - I have only done software consulting as full-time employment. So this would be my first in-house software engineer position. - I have been contracting with Amazon for the past year.
Coming up in the next 2 weeks, I have a big decision on whether I should accept an offer from Amazon or Small Co (300 employees, 10+ years). The Amazon compensation would be around 20-30k higher per year but I am also really excited by the product that Small Co. is out to build and having worked on the Amazon team for a year I know that the work is un-fulfilling but easy.
Ultimately here is my question: Are the things I learn while building out a brand new product at Small Co worth more long term in my career than the compensation and brand name provided by Big Tech Co?
Additionally, I was told I only passed the interview because I had worked for the team and done well but was a sub-par interviewee. Should I take the barrier to entry into consideration here?
EDIT: For a little more context on Small Co, I would be on a small team (<8 engineers) spinning up a brand new product and not working on their main product.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond!