I'm curious; were you an employee at the startups or a founder? The experience (and stress levels) will vary quite a bit between the two (and I'm not saying sta

I'm curious; were you an employee at the startups or a founder? The experience (and stress levels) will vary quite a bit between the two (and I'm not saying startup employees have it easy by any stretch). I can definitely see someone who has been in a founder role for years wanting to trade that for the stability, predictability and low-risk environment of a FAANG for a while, especially if they have a family, kids, etc. Although a few exceptional people can do both, most founders sacrifice elements of their personal lives in order to put enough energy into their businesses. A "successful" founder can be a failure at home. It's not that you're absent, but you're also not the best partner/parent/friend that you can be during those periods. A stable, "boring" job can be an opportunity to dedicate more to those important things.