Once the basic needs are met, many smart and talented people look for internal motivation. It doesn't matter if it is a small or a large company, as long as they are happy and satisfied. According to Daniel Pink's theory of motivation [0], there are 3 aspects of intrinsic motivation:
1. Autonomy - trust them, don't micromanage, let them take decisions
2. Mastery - allow them to get better and acquire skills
3. Purpose - give them a meaningful purpose and sell them your vision
Internal motivation may mean differently for different individuals, but I believe the above three aspects cover the most of it.
There are lots of reasons for choosing a small company over large ones: interest in the field, involvement in decision making, maybe more technical freedom, less bureaucracy ... I would say it depends more on the company itself than its size
Once the basic needs are met, many smart and talented people look for internal motivation. It doesn't matter if it is a small or a large company, as long as they are happy and satisfied. According to Daniel Pink's theory of motivation [0], there are 3 aspects of intrinsic motivation: 1. Autonomy - trust them, don't micromanage, let them take decisions 2. Mastery - allow them to get better and acquire skills 3. Purpose - give them a meaningful purpose and sell them your vision
Internal motivation may mean differently for different individuals, but I believe the above three aspects cover the most of it.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive:_The_Surprising_Truth_Ab...