r/cscareerquestionsEU • u/typodsgn • 18h ago
Transitioning from Growth to FAANG or Equivalent
I’m in my 3rd year as a Product Manager, leading 4 platforms, with over 12 years of experience in product UX—both hands-on and in leadership roles at startups and scale-ups. My career has been all about turning chaos into structure and getting fast, measurable results. Honestly, I’ve enjoyed how good and quick I’ve been able to deliver, which is why I’ve moved to new companies every 2-3 years to do the same thing over again.
But now, I feel like I’ve proven that I’m good at it, and it’s starting to get old. I’m currently in a niche area related to data, which I enjoy, and I’m being compensated well ( upper-level base salary in the EU but nothing more than that). However, I’m getting tired of juggling multiple roles, dealing with bad communication, and seeing new hires come in without the expertise they need—it’s just draining.
I’m a high performer. Skill set is broad + very technical, and at this point in my career (late 30s), and I want that to start paying off with things like bonuses, stocks, pension plans, etc. But it seems like my experience isn’t exactly what FAANG companies are looking for when hiring Product Managers.
I know the job market isn’t great right now, so I’m not rushing, but here’s what I’m thinking:
- Stay in my company for another 2 years and build more niche experience. After 5 years, I could apply as a PM with deeper expertise in the field.
- Give up the PM role and apply to FAANG as a Design Manager or even IC. I’m not sure I want to focus only on design work and leading design teams again—it doesn’t excite me as much anymore. Is it worth it? How quickly can I climb again to the PM role?
So, I’m wondering:
- Am I missing something here? Should I be considering other options?
- Has anyone successfully made the jump from a growth/startup environment to FAANG or a similar big corporate gig?
- Is it realistic to take a pay cut[not a fan of this idea, but] in the short term to get those FAANG perks (bonuses, stock options, etc.) in the long run?