Some have been great; some have been awful. The lifers are incapable of thinking for themselves or working without someone else creating structure for them. Or

Some have been great; some have been awful. The lifers are incapable of thinking for themselves or working without someone else creating structure for them. Or are way too specialized for a startup. With shorter tenured engineers who’ve never worked outside a larger company, watch out for over-engineering. But those who are comfortable launching non-terascale solutions to non-terascale problems can typically adapt well. People who have gone back and forth often have a good perspective and are great to work with!