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Ask HN: Working at a Startup vs. Large Companies

6 points| Brewer | 15 years ago | reply

I'm a CS student right now and I'll be applying for internships later this year. This will be my first internship and I'm wondering whether I should focus on startups or large companies?

I can see advantages for each: I think I would like that environment better at a startup. From what I hear you generally get a lot more freedom. You hack on cool projects that you are passionate about, but you work hard, which I don't mind. On the other hand, I think that working at a larger company would help me learn more. There would be more senior developers that can provide insight whereas in a startup there would only be a couple other developers, depending on how far along the company is.

What I'm looking for is some insight. What have you learned from your experience? What are the pros and cons of working at a startup versus a large company? What do you recommend for someone looking for their first internship?

18 comments

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[+] booduh|15 years ago|reply
I have a THEORY that it is easier to get an internship at a Startup than at a large company (during your first 2 years of college). If you are willing to work for a little less (maybe free-- get equity, choose wisely), then you could snag an internship right after your freshman year, when normally your options would be slim (larger companies tend to have these rules that bar interns until their Junior year). Here's the good: while most are working at McDonald's during their first college summer, or sitting around, you will be gaining solid experience.

If you can't get a good enough internship, then remember to start your own company! This is especially true if you won't necessarily need to make money during the summer months. You can probably pilot and test your idea during the school year, and you can play a different story when its time to get your first full-time job. The experience of having your own thing on the side while in college will set you down a different path once you graduate. Also, it will help you select and see the benefit of taking a few business-related electives! This is important! You will learn that it is important to be able to manage finances (take a finance course!) as well as market your brand/idea/self (take a marketing/sales/branding course).

Starting your own thing on the side is likely to provide you with a context for the best possible real world experience you can hope for. After working on your own thing, and seeing what its really like out there, then you will have questions, and you will assess everything with a keen observational eye (when you go for your next internship). You may also be better equipped (awareness) to negotiate when its time to secure your first full-time job. You will also not need to ask yourself, "startup vs. large company vs. entrepreneur," as you will have tested the waters young.

The main benefit of interning at a large company is to see what its like at a large company.

[+] Brewer|15 years ago|reply
Unfortunately, working for free isn't an option for me. On the other hand, I also don't need the $5500+/mn that tech giants like Google and Facebook pay.

I am between my Freshman and Sophomore year now, but I am looking forward to hopefully finding an internship for next summer. I like the idea of doing my own thing if that doesn't work out. I'd still have to work, but I'm sure I would have more than enough time for a side project.

I'm going to be working with one of the CS professors at my school for 2 months starting on Friday, hopefully that will give me a leg up on the competition when it comes time to find an internship. What do you think?

[+] iworkforthem|15 years ago|reply
I'm a Large Companies guy making transition to a Startup guy now.

What I learnt from Large Companies. - The way they price their software is by far the most creative. There is these core components which you pay $X for. Then for feature A, you pay $X+1. For feature B, you pay $X+2, etc. And of course you'll give you a discount for being first customer.

And installation & support hours are separate cost components, etc. At the end of the day, it really really really add up. - Multinational work culture. You will work with counterparts from various countries, etc. Much like a Startup too if you are hiring remote workers. You'll have a good idea how to work different culture & style.

These are 2 main benefits working in Large Companies. In terms of coding, I learnt from the folks sharing their codes at github, and open source communities; unit testing, continuous integration, etc.

At the end of the day, it is what you want to achieve? ps: The monthly pay check in a Large Companies can really put in a comfort zone mode.

[+] rahulrg|15 years ago|reply
There is an excellent Quora thread on this very topic. http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-questions-to-ask-you...

To excerpt a relevant point from the top answer: "I'm not sure if people "become" ready for a startup; in my experience, people are either small-company types or big-company types. When big-company types of people join a startup, they are typically ineffective and (if installed as a manager), a major force in slowing things down. When small-company types of people join a larger company, they tend to become annoyed and dissatisfied, often leaving quickly"

[+] Brewer|15 years ago|reply
Another idea: Joining a startup seems similar to being thrown in the deep end. You go in thinking you'll be over your head, but you learn real quick. [1] A large company, on the other hand, seems like it would be easier to settle into. You would get more assistance and there would be more people to show you what you're supposed to be doing.

[1] All joking aside, this is how I learned to swim. Someone literally threw me into the deep end of a pool. I wasn't happy about it, but I knew how to swim!

[+] aherlambang|15 years ago|reply
Sorry if I am not possibly answering your question, but can't you do both? Do you still have time to do another internship the following year? So if you choose to go with startup this summer then go for large companies next year, therefore you can decide better which one you want to pursue for your full time after you graduate.
[+] Brewer|15 years ago|reply
That's a great idea. If things work out then I might even be able to get 3 internships in total (every summer that I'm in university).
[+] open|15 years ago|reply
Personal opinion but internship experience is probably going to be better at a startup. Now if you were looking for a job, then it'd probably depend heavily on what your goals are but given the short amount of time an internship generally lasts, you'd do better with startups.
[+] timjahn|14 years ago|reply
Can't hurt to try both. I think there are definitely pros and cons to each, but the only way you're going to truly discover what works for you is to give each environment a try.
[+] staunch|15 years ago|reply
You will can learn how to succeed at a startup or succeed at a BigCo. Which skillset do you want to develop?
[+] Brewer|15 years ago|reply
I'd imagine that I could develop the same skill set either way.

If you're talking about tech skills then I'm a Python guy. I would also like to get into C or C++ at some point. I am trying my hands at Django now, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about it. I hear that Rails is better for web development, but it doesn't scale well.

Aside from that, I'd love to have a project that I have a lot of influence over. That's not something you can easily get at a company like Google.