Pros
Incredible talent density: You work alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry. Lots of learning opportunities just by being in the room. Technical infrastructure: Top-tier internal tools and platforms. Developer experience is miles ahead of other companies I’ve worked at. Work-life balance: Generally very good, especially compared to startups. Managers tend to be respectful of personal time. Career mobility: Easy to switch teams. I’ve changed projects twice with minimal friction and lots of support. Perks: Free meals, shuttles, massage credits, generous parental leave. Still feels like a luxury job in many ways.
Cons
Promotion pacing: Promotions can feel slow and bureaucratic, especially at senior levels. You often need to demonstrate the next level for over a year before you’re even considered. Decision-making overhead: Lots of alignment and consensus culture. It’s not always fast-moving. Big-company inertia: Some teams have legacy code and slow processes that are hard to change. Performance calibration: Peer comparisons and stack ranking can be stressful around review season. You need to actively advocate for yourself.
