[swatcoder]

If you're optimizing for "I want to get better at building things", you only need to work at a FAANG if you want to work in the high-profile domains they work on. But each FAANG member has about XX,XXX other engineers doing that already, so you're probably going to be assigned to something else anyway.

I'm not sure what's frustrating your career, but most of us are actually working outside of FAANG and doing really great engineering with skills and experience that compound year over year and more than enough income to live very comfortably.

Find the domain that you want to work in and stay focused on it. Build relationships; earn trust; and contribute good, thoughtful work.

You will probably not make as much money as the FAANG people, but you also won't be caught in vicious political fighting for interesting roles and will enjoy much more personal agency when not wearing their golden handcuffs. But you'll get to get better at building things, and if you focus on a domain you actually care about, the things you build will feel cool to you.