The number of successful top tech companies keeps growing. The winner-takes-all reality of our current tech business environment means that the job market is:

The number of successful top tech companies keeps growing. The winner-takes-all reality of our current tech business environment means that the job market is: 1. These top companies that pay very well and offer excellent career growth prospects. 2. Everything else below. So the real answer is "keep working at your fallback option until you can finally graduate to one of the lucrative positions at the top of the pyramid". That's the real, no-BS best course for the employees themselves. For companies below that top, that is horrible situation because it means all their employees (and especially their best) are temps just waiting for their real shot elsewhere. However, it is also the reality: most employees do leave for that golden top-tech offer that pays them x2+ their current comp with no risk. Non-top companies don't really help the situation much themselves; as we all know having FAANG on your resume is the surest way to get interviews, offers, and career upgrades everywhere outside of FAANG as well. So, the "top-tech or bust" attitude will continue.