I don't buy this argument at all. It fully depends on your mindset. No big company pays you to become lazy and entitled, at least not the FAANG ones referred to by most as the gold standard. If you cannot show initiative and growth in a big company you don't belong in a start up. People with initiative and a drive to do things thrive anywhere and in any condition. They solve problems no matter what the form is and forge ahead. I do see that working for a startup can be great, but this whole "work at a start up first" is just trying to glorify startups and nothing else.