I have had the good fortune to work with both start-ups and Fortune 100 companies (#79 in 2014, to be exact) in my career. Working with David or Goliath carries with it both positives and negatives and when you are considering going to work for a company you need to ensure that these characteristics match up with your own personality and needs.
David (The Start-Up)
Pros
Flexibility and agility
Wide individual scope of work
Palatable energy
Passion fueled
Newness
Undefined culture
Define your own career path
Broader individual impact
Cons
Instability and risk
Constrained resources
Passion fueled (yes, it goes both ways)
Unproven business model
High stress / long hours
Identifying the next big thing is tough
Risk of being crushed by larger, more financially stable companies
Goliath (The Big Company)
Pros
Resources (people, money, technology, etc.)
Established business model
Stability (or at least the sense of stability)
Organizational history
Defined culture
Learn the art of politics
Broader corporate impact
Time to reflect on lessons learned
Cons
Bureaucracy
Limited individual scope of work
Risk of being undercut by smaller, more nimble companies
Organizational history (this goes both ways, too)
Frustration of company politics
Slow career growth
Being pigeon holed as a specialist
Most of these pros and cons are based on potential for good or bad but as you think of the type of company you want to work for it is important to decide if you are willing to accept the risks associated with any given size of company.
As I think of additional items to add to my lists I will do so but please feel free to contact me with anything you think needs to be added to either David’s or Goliath’s score card.
