Navigating the Shift: From Startup Hustle to Corporate Structure
TL;DR: Transitioning to a corporate environment after years in startups has been an eye-opening experience. Despite my initial reservations, I’ve found that the structured support, larger-scale projects, and a focus on sustainable practices are giving my career a significant boost. I only wish I had made this move sooner — it’s proving to be a valuable phase in my professional development.
Having spent a significant portion of my career in startups, I recently transitioned to a corporate environment. This change has given me a unique perspective on the working dynamics of both settings.
Here, I’ll share some key differences I’ve observed, particularly focusing on culture, pace, organization, project types, and code quality.
Culture: A New Dimension of Collaboration and Support
In startups, the culture often thrives on a blend of chaos and excitement, which can be amazing but also draining. Transitioning to a corporate setting, I was pleasantly surprised by the structured support systems in place. Corporates tend to foster a culture that emphasizes employee well-being, professional development, and a balanced approach to work. The availability of resources to support mental health, career progression, and work-life balance was a significant shift that highlighted a more sustainable work environment.
Pace: Steady Does It
Startups are synonymous with the ‘move fast and break things’ mantra, which pushes for rapid growth and quick pivots. Believe me, I did too many times that sometimes we broke everything and we figured out how to solve quickly and push to production in peak times. This approach can be exhilarating but also unsustainable. In contrast, corporations operate at a more deliberate pace. Decisions may take longer, but this allows for thorough deliberation and strategic planning, reducing the frenzied rush often seen in startup environments. Of course, they both have good points and also help me to understand how the business needs to resolve faster for our clients.
Organization: Clarity and Precision
The organizational structure in corporations is typically more hierarchical but clear. This clarity in roles and processes eliminates ambiguity and improves coordination. Startups, with their flat structures, offer quick decisions and closeness to leadership, but often at the cost of frequent role overlaps and less-defined processes. Additionally, I saw something good/bad at startups, if you start doing more than your assignments you can change very quickly to a new role, or in the bad cases you change without a better salary.
Project Types: Scale and Impact
While startups offer innovative and sometimes groundbreaking projects, the scale and impact of projects in a corporate setting are on another level. The resources and global reach of corporations allow for projects that can impact millions, supported by robust infrastructure and extensive teams, providing a different sense of achievement and professional growth.
Code Quality: Rigor in Releases
In my experience, the quality of code and the rigor in releases differ notably between the two. Startups often push for faster releases to adapt quickly, which can sometimes compromise code quality. Corporates, with dedicated QA teams and stringent review processes, uphold a high standard of quality that ensures reliability and security before anything goes live.
Conclusions
And don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the corporate path is for everyone or that I regret my time in the startup world. On the contrary, I’ve loved working in startups and have gained immense learning from those experiences. It’s just that, at this point in my life, I am in a different phase and truly appreciate where I am now and this opportunity.
I currently work at Zillow as a Senior TPM in the Artificial Intelligence area, and I feel very happy here. I hope my journey at Zillow will be long, fruitful, and filled with numerous opportunities to grow and contribute.
Thanks for reading my post, and please send me good vibes to continue growing here.
