You’re not the only one. But there are a lot of people whose life situation might dictate that choosing a safe FAANG job beats the risk of working for a startup or striking out on their own.
Or maybe they just want to work on interesting things, have a good work life balance, and get paid really well.
Your golden handcuffs might be someone else’s golden parachute.
Few of them pay what fang pays, though, and even fewer have the same brand recognition. If by 30 she gets bored, with conservative investments into broad market funds, she'll have a few millions in assets and the luxury to choose between a cushy well paid job and maybe starting her own thing.
Your golden handcuffs might be someone else’s golden parachute.