Last year I asked, “Did you know, ‘A’ people join startups, ‘B’ people join big companies?”

According to Auren Hoffman “…big high tech companies are losing the talent war.” He suggests,

Big companies are losing their “A” players and they’re struggling to attract “B” players. In an industry where everything is about people, large tech companies are in trouble because they are losing the talent war. And keep in mind, an “A” player in an organization can usually produce the same results as three “B” players.

Auren goes on to explain that it is “irrational” for “A” players to join big companies such as Yahoo, Microsoft, eBay or Cisco. Instead “A” players are joining small companies where they can “have fun, pursue their dreams and actual get things done.”

His thesis is true for me personally (not saying I am an “A” player), but perhaps not for all “A” players. He goes on to explain that you will earn 10-20% less at the startup ~ if you work for me think 30% less (but of course there are the stock options). He suggests that if you

“…want to work less (or eat free gourmet food). If you are content with working 35-40 hours a week and are not interested in growing your career at this point in your life, then working for a large company is a good short-term decision.”

Interesting article from Auren (he is CEO of Rapleaf). What do you think?