Is it difficult to work for Dream Companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon or Adobe

Question: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Adobe interviews are hard to crack. Is work in these companies difficult compared to TCS, Infosys, or IBM for a developer?

This is a fully loaded question and I am breaking it into parts to answer it systematically.

For ease of understanding I am classifying the two categories of companies as:

Amazon, Google, Facebook, Adobe - Dream companies

TCS, Infosys or IBM- Good companies

Amazon, Google, Facebook and Adobe interviews are hard to crack - An established fact

Re writing the Question to make it simple : Will a developer find it difficult to work in Dream Companies compared to good companies?

Answer-  Mostly Not, Sometimes Yes.

Justification-

1. Why a developer mostly don't find it difficult to work at dream companies compared to good companies?

• The dream companies have a stringent selection criteria. They pay close attention to the suitability of the candidate and hence the chances of selecting an unworthy candidate is highly unlikely.
• Passion matters- People love to do what they are passionate about. Only great developers can sail through the rigorous selection process. I respect TCS for giving me my first offer letter even when I had little knowledge about programming and have answered that my favorite language was English Rohan Sinha's answer in TCS Interview "Why should I hire you"?
• Work Culture Matters- Just by coming in contact with other intelligent and ambitious individuals, everyone grows due to healthy competition.
• The Impact you make inspire a lot- I work for the largest construction company in India with literally no competition in certain segments like Defence, Shipbuilding, Airport Development, etc. The prestige you command with the product and service you offer makes you more responsible and you don't mind walking the extra mile as the impact you make inspire a lot.  Here, the dream companies and good companies are equally able to provide a platform where you create an impact, though, people feel that the impact of working in Dream companies sets you apart. So, a Developer will not find the work difficult if he is sufficiently inspired by the impact he will create.
• Recognition- The developer will not find the work difficult when he/she is well  appreciated. Just see at Quora, there are more people from the good companies and less from the dream companies. Further, those at good companies aspire to be at dream companies and hence those in dream companies feels well appreciated. 

2. Why a developer sometimes find it difficult to work at dream companies compared to good companies?

• When they are overqualified for a job- The sad part of working at dream companies is that they often end up hiring overqualified people for certain jobs like unflagging contents from You tube, doing technical support, etc. A great developer may definitely not like to do support jobs at Google. People land up in such situations and I am not exaggerating. ( This problem is possible at all kind of companies)
• When working on less challenging projects-  I always thought that dreams companies have only dream jobs. I was wrong. Even, search engine giant like Google makes products  or offer services that tank. Do you remember Buzz,  the social networking platform created by google to counter Facebook, Myspace, etc. Those who work on less popular or less challenging products or services sometimes lose interest if they are inspired by the outcome of the result of the projects. ( This problem is possible at all kind of companies)
• When they feel that they are not making significant impact on the Business-  The developer may lose interest if she didn't see that her contributions are making a significant impact. People who are accustomed to work in small companies sometimes find it difficult to work in large organisations because they feel that their contributions are not significant. This is the downside of working for any large company. Example- I am a active member of the team that build the new Terminal 2 of the Mumbai International Airport, but my individual contribution is negligible considering the large size of the team and the quantum of the project. We have delegated the work to thousands of contractors, millions of labors have worked and they also deserve credit for the success of the project. In this situation, some feel uninspired.

Disclaimer- My answer is based on my knowledge as an individual with no vested interest in any of the companies mentioned herein. I am avid reader of  Financial Post, Business Insider, Time Magazine, Forbes, Economics Times, Harvard Business Review. If any information needs additional clarification, do get back to me.