When I started out as a software engineer, I heard a lot of sweeping ideas about how the size of an organization would dictate the work experience. Big companies meant rigid structures, endless meetings, and hierarchies you couldn't hope to untangle. Small companies meant agility, creative freedom, and direct access to decision-makers. Medium companies were supposed to be a mix of both, but whether it was a good mix or a bad one depended on who you worked for.

The truth is, the size of an organization doesn't matter nearly as much as people like to think it does. Whether you're at a ten person startup or a multinational with thousands of employees, certain things seem to remain constant. Work can be hectic, personalities clash, and yes, bureaucracy will find a way to wrap itself around even the scrappiest group of folks. Why? Because organizations are made of people, and people are, well, people.

Sure, the problems may scale, and the culture can shift depending on the size, but ultimately, everywhere you go, most people are just doing their best with the resources and constraints placed in front of them. And here's the kicker: thriving (professionally and personally) isn't really about organizational size at all. It's about the people you work most closely with.

In every organization I've joined, the biggest predictor of my day-to-day satisfaction came down to my immediate circle: the coworkers I bounced ideas off, the manager who guided my growth, and the leadership I directly interacted with. When those relationships were healthy, productive, and built on mutual respect, I thrived.

Think about the undercurrent of office politics. Many people assume that politics get worse in larger companies because there are more stakeholders, more agendas, more potential conflict, right? But even in smaller organizations, I've seen similar dynamics play out, just on a different scale. Clashing egos, differences in working styles, and misguided communication aren't limited by size. They surface anywhere because people, by nature, aren't perfect communicators, and we all have our own biases and insecurities. The "we're a family" trope is a lot more common in smaller companies, and in my experience (and that of others based on the memes) it leads to a pretty toxic environment a lot of the time.

Now, what does this all mean? It's freeing in a way. Chasing the "perfect-sized company" is pointless because there isn't one. What actually matters, and what you can influence, is the quality of your interactions with your peers. Get along well with your coworkers, and suddenly those tough deadlines or endless Zoom meetings aren't so bad. Build a strong rapport with your manager, and they're more likely to advocate for your promotion or help you find opportunities to grow. And let's not forget your skip level, and so on up the chain. These people might not figure into your "day one priorities" when you're getting settled in a new role, but they're the ones who shape how decisions are made, including ones about your own career trajectory.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that you start networking purely for the sake of climbing the ladder. Genuine relationships aren't transactional. But the better you understand what drives the people you work with, the easier it becomes to align your goals with theirs, and that goes a long way in making your working life smoother no matter where you are.

While the size of the organization you work for can certainly shape your experience, it's not the only determinant of your happiness, growth, or success. Big or small, companies are just groups of people figuring things out as they go. If you can nail the human side of things, like building strong, authentic relationships with your team and those who have the ability to shape your career? You'll be in a much better position to thrive. Because if you're not happy at work it doesn't matter if there are 5 people, or 50k people. You'll be miserable either way.