There is certainly a perceived difference between tech workers at, what I would categorize into T1/T2/T3 companies. T1 companies invest in their reputation, te

There is certainly a perceived difference between tech workers at, what I would categorize into T1/T2/T3 companies. T1 companies invest in their reputation, tend to have long and capricious interviews, and pay obscenely. T2 companies cannot afford to play that game against T1 companies and so try specifically to hire on different merits - they have a flexible vacation policy, they look for people passed over by the T1 interviews, etc. They are hiring looking for bang-for-buck. T3 companies generally don't have either the technical expertise or bureaucratic structure to properly hire tech workers. They are nearly rolling dice. There are many more T1 companies than FAANG, and interestingly, the company does not even have to be big or successful. It requires fat stacks of cash, but this could come from VC. Devs with a few years experience at T1 companies are "marked"; interviews at other companies are easier, and you're paid better than coworkers if you go to work at a T2 company.