Startup or BigCo?

Question

Hey, I'm a university student, at the Junior level, And I'm trying to figure out my plans. I'm fairly sure I can land a job at a major corporation given my background and education. However, I can't figure out whether or not it would be more rewarding to start a startup of my own or to take the safer approach of a BigCo™.

So do you work at a startup/bigco? have you started your own startup?

My biggest fear as a programmer is to become a drone, implementing other peoples' specs for the rest of my life, regardless of how good the pay is.

EDIT: I think something was lost in my question. If I chose not to join a big corporation, it probably won't be to work for a different small company, it would be to start my own. Therein lies the dilemma: I don't have a business background, but I (think I) have the motivation and perseverance qualities for it. I just don't know if the risk is justifiable, and what the variables that should be guiding my decision are.

Answer 1

Do you have an idea for a business? Starting a startup is about a lot more than just coding.

Answer 2

Don't think a big corp is going to be a safer position. Job security comes from the skills you have, not from company you work for.

Answer 3

As a small company owner and developer I will tell you that a small business can give you far more freedom to build great software. However, you absolutely must vet the company very carefully. In a small company with a true software development culture and a commitment to excellence (e.g. Fog Creek, BSDI), you're likely to be very happy as long as you maintain a passion for your field. The risk is that each person at a small company has more impact on you than at a large company.

While you might think that a large company will have more resources to provide you the best in development tools, etc. my experience has taught me that this simply isn't true. If you are looking at a large company, you'll have to be very careful about vetting not only the group you would join, but the attitude of the company as a whole.

Answer 4

I prefer working for _well_established_ start up companies. By well established, I mean in business for at least a year, plenty of investors and a (close to) zero turnover rate for the time they have been operating. A good company won't mind you asking these kinds of questions, they should realize that its a bit of a leap for you to join, especially times being as they are.

You go to work for two reasons really, personal esteem and financial compensation. I've found that its harder to find the first one in large companies. The bigger the company, the bigger the politics, the easier it is for you to get swallowed up by your cube.

Just be prepared to 'double' as a system administrator, copy machine tech, etc, from time to time. Also be prepared to be your own junior developer. In most small companies, everyone is expected to be versatile, within reason.

Answer 5

Unless you're married with a family, a startup is the way to go - even if you're not starting one, working at one will give you experiences that you just cant' get at BigCo.

There's a good article at http://www.paulgraham.com/mit.html that says it far more eloquently than I ever could.

Answer 6

As a former CTO, IT Director and believe it or not corporate recruiter, I have a uniquely broad perspective. I know you are thinking about how to "get experience", and Mark Brittingham's response covers this very well.

However in this day and age, you need to think about your future "personal brand". It sounds like a lot of BS, but it is real. Think about where you want to end up, and design your career backwards.

After your first 10 years in the workforce, what kind of career history will you have had? Will your resume be filled with quick job changes, a few job changes, small companies offering broad experience, big companies offering narrow experience, well known companies, unknown companies??

Just remember, thanks to the power of Google and the Social Web, our professional trail is indelibly recorded for all to see.

To help you imagine what a good career may look likehere is an example career progression for someone successful in online software. These details are fictional, but based on real profiles I've known.

1. Graduates University ... BSc
2. Joins large faceless software co (e.g. Oracle, NEC, SUN, Symantec) ... 2-4 years
3. Moves to a systems integrator (e.g. Wipro, IBM Global, Accenture) ... 1-3 years
4. Moves to cooler online company (e.g. Yahoo!, Amazon, etc) ... 1-2 years
5. Moves to smaller company in senior role (e.g. a startup) ... 1-2 years
6. Leaves startup to do MBA at shockingly expensive Grad School ... think big debt!
7. Joins largish ridiculously famous company in semi-senior role (e.g. GE, McKinsey)

---

This example progression would give you a great personal brand, and it would sound like this to a recruiter: "Majd Taby is a great guy, ex-Yahoo!, ex-Oracle, MBA and he's still technical ... unbelieveable!"

What I haven't covered in the fantasy progression above is "job titles". Have a think about these too. Remember, if you are "just a programmer" after the age of 40, you will probably never go higher. This is not a bad thing per se, but keep it in mind.

Good luck mate, and enjoy what you do!