I worked in a few startups before joining a few large companies since then. The truth is that there is an incredible variety. Not all large organizations are t

I worked in a few startups before joining a few large companies since then. The truth is that there is an incredible variety. Not all large organizations are the same and it may be very different from department to department. I have worked with people of truly amazing technical expertise and work ethics in a large organization that relied heavily on heavy transaction loads. The cost of downtime was know to the minute and many operations were very sensitive to performance, the contribution of the technical teams to the business were known and recognized. Everything that was central to its operation was done in house all the way down to network protocols. This environment made technical excellence an important aspect of selecting employees. Less performing employees were moved to other areas of the business, or just not kept after their probation period. I have also seen other organizations where you contact your technical team when you order the coffee for the press conference where you'll announce the new product they're supposed to build. When technical expertise is not well regarded; I've seen less talented people. But the machine was still working thanks to its traditions and established systems, at least if you're attentive you get to learn how to build resilience. I have done great and exciting work in startups, I have also seen countless numbers small companies with low levels of expertise and professionalism.