"I loved a lot of things about my time in Big Tech In 2007, I came straight out of undergrad into an account executive role at AT&T, where I had a really supportive development system around me and was able to take on a lot of responsibility quickly. I met some great people and had mentors who really showed me the ropes. Plus, the money was safe, which meant a lot as a young twenty-something."
"In 2021, I left AT&T and stepped down from my title to take a bet on myself. After a series of calculated career risks, I joined an AI startup, and now I work in venture capital as an advisor for startups I believe in. The startup world has been invigorating and completely unlike the past predictability of Big Tech. If Big Tech is a luxury yacht, then startups are a speedboat."
Robert E. Williams spent 13 years at AT&T, rising from an account executive to an assistant VP role by 2018 within structured processes and steady pay. During the pandemic he reflected on priorities and asked what he would do without Big Tech's safety. In 2021 he stepped down and took calculated career risks to join an AI startup, later moving into venture capital as a startup advisor and board director. He contrasts Big Tech's predictability with startups' faster, invigorating pace, acknowledging startup risks while valuing mentorship, responsibility growth, and deliberate career decision-making.
Read at Business Insider
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