What are some skills possessed by software engineers at big companies like Google, Samsung, Amazon Facebook etc that software engineers at no-name companies usually don’t have?

This blog is not technical and I was having a fever so can't open a laptop but thanks to the phone they also do their work wisely.

I have worked and interviewed several times with this big, small, mid damn every size of companies and there is a difference and it is a very thin line. Let me explain.

I am working in software engineering for the last 10 years. I come from a no-name college in India, and my grades weren’t stellar. SO, getting into top tier companies was hard for me. Over 10 years, I’ve worked my way up, and I was in Samsung , IndiGo and after that got opportunity to work for (Amazon, Google) Big Companies etc.

 On the way, I have worked in all kinds of companies: startups, mid sized companies, large multi nationals; and in all kinds of industries: consumer goods, healthcare, finance, education

First of all, Companies are tiered in terms of the skill levels of their engineers. They pretend not to be. Everyone claims that they hire the smartest engineers. WHat they mean is that they hire the smartest engineers that they can get. There is a definite differrence in Engineers working in FAANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google), I’ve seen all kinds of engineers beleive me and I was the only one worked in between the IIT'ns with respect.

Here’s the kicker. The biggest difference isn’t in the quality of the code that they write. FAANG engineers, on the whole, write as buggy code as engineers in decent companies.

The biggest differentiator is Communication. When I was in mid-tier companies, I was constantly finding myself explaining and re-explaining things in great detail. In fact, I would say that at most companies at mid-tier level, your success as an engineer depends on being able to drive people in the right direction by communicating to them.

There are 3 kind of people in tech. 

There are

 a) arguers:- people who will fight every point of view that isn’t their own, 

b) receivers: people who will try their best to understand what you are saying

 c) analyzers: people who start thinking critically while you are talking to them.

 Arguers are toxic. Receivers are good but slow. Analyzers are good and fast.

In mid tier companies, you are more likely to find Arguers and Receivers, whereas in top-tier companies, you are more likely to find Receivers and Analyzers.

To be a successful tech company, you need to get in as many Analyzers as you can. Because these are the people who generate ideas. These are the people you give 2 and 2 and they figure out how to make 8. Not only that, with ANalyzers, you have to spend less time getting the team on the same page. 

Less miscommunication = Less rework = shorter turnaround = lower time to market = win.

Just to be clear, I’m not saying communication is bad. Communication is good. You need to make sure everyone understands what needs to be done. Communication is essential. All I’m saying is that in top tier companies, communication is lot more efficient.

And that is the biggest difference. I have seen and also was a part of it as a analyzer.