Big Tech vs. Mid Tech: Which One’s Right for You?

Collaborating with Gourav Khanijoe on this guest post to share his inspiring journey and learnings

This week I got an opportunity to talk to Gourav Khanijoe. Gourav is currently working as a Staff Software Engineer at Hubspot and has previously worked at Amazon and Coinbase.

Given his diverse experience across big tech and different mid tech companies, it would be great to hear from Gourav on his journey and learnings.

You can also checkout Gourav’s newsletter where he shares his career growth learnings : The Curious Soul’s Corner

Announcement

I’ve started sharing short content on Instagram : hemant_careerbytes

I will be sharing short content on

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My initial goal is to post at least 200 short from content in first 365 days. Follow me on IG:

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Coming back to the topic, choosing between a big tech company or a mid-tier company can be tough. Each has its own set of pros and cons, and figuring out which one suits you best can feel overwhelming. Let me break it down in simple terms to help you make the right choice.

Passing the mic to

Gourav Khanijoe

here to share

Company Culture

Amazon
I spent about six years at Amazon, and the culture there shifted over time. It started off feeling a bit like a startup but eventually became more about processes and rules. Amazon is great if you love tech and want to learn, but the focus is mostly on business results, sometimes more than on your well-being.

Coinbase
At Coinbase, things moved a lot faster. The culture there is all about staying agile and keeping up with the fast-paced crypto world regulations. It’s exciting, but during my time there, there were definitely growing pains, like not having enough engineering guardrails, which sometimes led to issues.

HubSpot
HubSpot, on the other hand, finds a sweet spot between working quickly and taking care of employees. They care about work-life balance and even have something called the ‘HubSpot Culture Code’ to guide everyone. I really appreciate the focus on well-being here while enabling millions of SMBs in their growth journey, and it’s a place where you can get your work done without feeling exhausted.

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Career Growth & Opportunities

Amazon
At Amazon, my career took off quickly at first. I worked on big projects that reached millions of customers, which was amazing. But later, when I moved to AWS, my growth slowed down because some projects got less attention. Still, I gained a lot of experience, and the path to promotions was pretty clear—deliver results, and you’ll move up.

Coinbase
When I joined Coinbase, the growth path was more flexible. As a Staff Engineer, I led a project that saved the company $18 million. Even though my time there was short, I noticed that recognition came faster when you delivered good results, especially in the fast-changing crypto world.

HubSpot
At HubSpot, career growth feels more natural and supportive. There’s a big focus on collaboration and personal development, which I love. The opportunities to advance are plenty, and the company’s strong mentorship culture helps a lot. I feel like I’m always learning and growing here.

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Work Environment

Amazon
Working at Amazon felt like being in a bunch of smaller companies, all under the same umbrella. This made it harder to collaborate across teams because everyone was protective of their own turf. It was a lot of writing design documents and waiting for approvals, which slowed things down. The results were good, but it took a while to see them.

Coinbase
Coinbase had a much simpler structure, which meant things moved faster. The teams were supportive, and I had to be quick to adapt, especially with the changing regulations in crypto. But, sometimes, the success of my work depended on things outside of my control, like new laws.

HubSpot
At HubSpot, the work environment is driven by small, independent teams. The infrastructure teams do a great job providing tools that make our jobs easier, so we can focus on solving real problems. The feedback loop is quick, which means I can see the impact of my work much faster.

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Pay & Benefits

Amazon
At Amazon, the pay is good but generally lower than at Coinbase. Senior Engineers can expect to make between $270k and $500k. The stock grants are stable but more valuable in future years. The benefits are solid but nothing too special, aside from the 401k.

Coinbase
The pay at Coinbase is the highest among the three. Staff Engineers can make over half a million dollars, but the stock is volatile. The benefits are great too, with perks like remote work, unlimited PTO, and a good 401k match. But keep in mind, the hours can be long, so the company tries to balance that out with higher pay.

HubSpot
HubSpot offers a balanced package. I make over half a million here, and the stock has good growth potential. The flexible workplace culture, unlimited PTO, and strong parental leave benefits make it a great place to work in terms of employee care.

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Challenges & Learnings

Moving from a big tech company to a mid-tier one like Coinbase or HubSpot meant I had to let go of some old habits. For example, I had to get used to having more freedom and less need to ask for permission. The mid-tier companies allowed me to move faster and make an impact more quickly, which was refreshing.

To adapt, I used a strategy I call “downplaying yourself.” During the first few months at a new company, I intentionally took a step back, listened more, and focused on building trust. This helped me learn the ropes and fit in better.

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Leadership Style

The leadership styles were very different across these companies. At Coinbase and HubSpot, leaders are more transparent and direct. They involve you in decision-making, which makes it easier to adjust when things change.

At Amazon, leadership felt more political, and priorities could shift suddenly without much notice. This made it harder to know what was happening, but the company’s long-term vision was strong, which kept things on track.

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How to Decide which to pick?

The most important thing is to know yourself. Here’s how you can think about it:

• Go for Big Tech if you enjoy working on large-scale systems that impact millions of users. If you prefer stability, well-established processes, and have a strong desire to work in a highly structured environment, Big Tech could be the right fit. It’s also great if you’re motivated by learning best practices in engineering and can handle a slower pace of career growth in exchange for long-term stability.

• Choose Mid-Tier Companies if you like a balance between speed and structure. If you thrive in environments where you can have a significant impact quickly but still want some level of organization and support, mid-tier companies might be for you. They often offer more autonomy, a faster pace of career growth, and a better work-life balance without the chaos of a startup.

• Consider Startups if you’re excited by the idea of wearing multiple hats, making decisions quickly, and dealing with constant change. If you’re looking for high risk but potentially high reward, and you’re okay with uncertainty, startups could be your playground.

Think about what you want out of your career—whether it’s money, growth, making an impact, or having a good work-life balance. It’s hard to get everything, so focus on what’s most important to you.

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