Comments on: Little companies get the big talent? Auren says yes, but he’s wrong. http://joeduck.com/2006/12/03/little-companies-get-the-big-talent-auren-says-yes-but-hes-wrong/ Have Blog. Will Travel. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:54:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Tommo http://joeduck.com/2006/12/03/little-companies-get-the-big-talent-auren-says-yes-but-hes-wrong/#comment-3998 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 19:18:45 +0000 http://joeduck.wordpress.com/2006/12/03/little-companies-get-the-big-talent-auren-says-yes-but-hes-wrong/#comment-3998 As one of my colleagues says, “In a startup, your main job is to stay off the critical path.” In a big company, it’s not ma @(*#&*(&! job to find the critical path, man.

I’ve not found great differentiation in smartness levels of people in big software houses (IBM, DEC, Progress) vs. startups (Allaire, IMLogic, Ounce, Language Technology). I’m not sure what differentiates one group from the other. Long ago, I would have said “tolerance of risk,” but that’s no longer the case, and the people in question all know this.

Some people have mooted “making a difference” as a differentiator, if you’ll pardon the pun. This seems to cut both ways. I prefer startups b/c I can make a difference without a 2.5 year delay between when I finish work and the product hitting the streets; others find that producing and releasing software that will be used by the world at large to be more satisfying. And, in truth, I do take some satisfaction in knowing that almost everyone’s paycheck goes through a system that has “zucco” deep in its innerds.

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