[crcarlson]

I have worked ~ 10yrs in each.

Larger companies can have better structure and mentoring available. They can also have more resources and work on more impactful problems. Public companies can have more liquid equity if that is part of the compensation.

Smaller companies can often provide opportunities with more customer impact earlier in your career at the cost of drinking from a firehose and with less resources available. Total comp wise, on average, startups will pay less because their equity is often illiquid and ultimately worthless, however the home runs can pay dramatically more than a large public company will.

I self identify as a roboticist and a generalist. Holistic systems thinking can be very valuable to a broad range of businesses in my experience. Keep learning the mental and mathematical models of your field and it is likely to payoff.