There are 4 basic options imo: 1. Start your own company - the hardest and most stressful option by miles, but most potentially rewarding. 2. Work for a start

There are 4 basic options imo: 1. Start your own company - the hardest and most stressful option by miles, but most potentially rewarding. 2. Work for a startup - smaller team, greater impact, less "politics" but a greater risk of being a complete shitshow 3. Public tech company - What you did, didn't like it, most of these companies seem to be about the same now, what matters is the local management and product area's importance to the company 4. Public nontech company - The worst, tech is either seen as cost center and burden, or it's the CEO's pet project that no one understands and you're basically being paid to be a magician because the CEO read something in Harvard business review that your specialization is the future of their industry or something. I think you should go for 2 personally, but if you have a business idea that you believe in, 1 is the best. In both cases you may realize that 3 is actually the best option for you, but not today. Good luck!