[KorematsuFredt]

Having spent some time with Google as SWE, I think Google was by far the best engineering company I have worked with. Even Amazon, Microsoft were terrible when it comes to software engineering.

I am one of those engineers who do not care about culture as long as I am getting paid for the efforts I put in. Google in that sense beat others by HUGE margin.

The engineering work was however very different. We focused on right engineering solutions instead of just business aspect. While that kind of attitude hurts us in short term, it pays big in long term.

[cudgy]

“I am one of those engineers who do not care about culture as long as I am getting paid for the efforts I put in.”

Then large companies are not for you. Navigating the culture is key to advancement and long-term satisfaction. Otherwise you will feel like an outcast and likely let go during layoff rounds or kept around at lower compensation rates.