I think the trick to surviving either big-company jobs (with the tendency toward bureaucracy and risk aversion) or startup (with the high risk and uncertainty)

I think the trick to surviving either big-company jobs (with the tendency toward bureaucracy and risk aversion) or startup (with the high risk and uncertainty) is realizing that it's just a job, not what you have to be doing for the next 15 years. If it's boring for a couple months, who cares? If the company goes out of existence (or fires you) there will be others. I think it's becoming increasingly important to learn this, although it's easier to give this advice than follow it.