As always -- it depends. =) First, BigCo experience can be good at this stage because you learn how they do it. A BigCo is a BigCo because they have a process

As always -- it depends. =) First, BigCo experience can be good at this stage because you learn how they do it. A BigCo is a BigCo because they have a process that works. (maybe not perfectly, but enough...) It's important early on to see how real software is shipped. It is messy and inelegant, and forces you to make tough choices. But a BigCo survives because most of the time through process and culture things work out. A startup can be awesome if they give you real experience and a chance to make a real dent in the product. But sometimes you won't get that if the situation isn't good. e.g. Engineering team isn't up to snuff, bad process, poisonous culture. In enterprise startups I've seen this to be more true than not... your mileage may vary. Final question you should ask yourself about each option: Who will be my manager, do I have a lot to learn from them, and how much time are they willing to spend with me? This may well affect your experience more than any other factor.