You can affect people's lives even if working at Big Corp X. Often, you can ask to do more things than programming at Big Corp X, if you show interest and are

You can affect people's lives even if working at Big Corp X. Often, you can ask to do more things than programming at Big Corp X, if you show interest and are valued as an employee. Not every Big Corp X. deals with social networks for alien life forms on earth : there are big corps X developing medical devices, airplanes and space vehicles, public infrastructure, or researching new, game changing technology. A lot of people working at Big (or Medium/Small) Corp X. are passionate about their work. I agree that by doing your own thing you have a much more direct impact on the result, but I don't think there is such a manichean and romantic division.