[allenu]

I worked in a "startup-like" team at a big company a few years ago. It was fun in that we moved quickly since we had fewer processes than typical teams at Big Co. Over time though, I realized we were just making stuff to make some higher-up happy, and not really chasing a customer.

I also found out we were funded just to light a fire under another team that moved very slowly. Whatever we made would be taken back to that team and we'd have to sell them on using it, and also show them what was possible.

Ultimately, we were just a cog in this larger machine. Nowadays I don't really trust anybody at big companies that says "our team is like a startup".