Big Tech Is Not A Monolith

Although Big Tech is often discussed as if it's a uniform experience, that assumption doesn't hold up under scrutiny. The lesson clarifies that these companies, and even teams within them, can differ dramatically in culture, structure, and day-to-day work.

• Big Tech is not a monolith: Companies like Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft may appear similar, but each has distinct norms and quirks. For example, Apple and Amazon differ significantly in operating style.
• Team-level variation is substantial: Within any large company - especially one with thousands of engineering teams—there’s huge internal variability. At Google, for instance, it’s unrealistic to expect all teams to operate the same way.
• Meta as a case study in divergence: Meta operates almost like four separate companies due to its major acquisitions (Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus), each with its own leadership structure and internal culture.
• Caveat for the audience: The content that follows reflects common experiences shared by 70–80% of Big Tech engineers, but there will be outliers. Some parts may resonate; others may not - and that’s normal.