If people have true success stories of corporate outposts out here, please share. I'm happy to be proven wrong.
If the management tree is deeper than log(2) your age, run away :-)
(This is assuming a roughly normal company overall. Something that really takes being flat seriously, like a worker's cooperative, might be different, but I've never worked at such a place.)
Sure, but the question here is would you rather work on auto-related stuff at Ford or Apple? Admittedly I have no idea what Apple is up to, but I do know from a couple of acquaintances working in the car industry that they've recently interviewed a ton of automotive engineers.
Ford, of course. Where my manager and my manager's manager and so on know about the technical aspects of automobile development, facilities for automobile-specific testing (engine test cells, turbocharger test cells, wind tunnels, anechoic chambers, etc.) are available, experienced technicians can advise me...
Given how many engineers I know of whom have left traditional car companies to go work for automotive 'startups' it seems that they have a real problem holding on to talent despite the advantages you mentioned.
But I do know that if I wanted to get into the auto industry, I'd rather go with the one that has 100 years experience instead of the one just getting started.
It depends on what you mean by "auto-related stuff." In-Vehicle entertainment? I'd go to Apple. Powertrain management (the stuff that I'm more interested in)? Ford, no question.
Perhaps I'm just jaded by the traditional Detroit mismanagement.
If Ford can convince us that working for them is a path toward making motoring better for a hundred thousand people per vehicle model, wouldn't we be interested? Or are we only up for hacking on prototypes whose main hope of mass production is getting acquired by a major maker?
My main point was that at a startup I most likely would have the opportunity to shape the engineering culture, hire people, architect, and build a company from the ground up. I wouldn't have to deal with the horrifying corporate culture that comes with any massive company.
Secondly, $$$ can go a long way in competing for talent
Better for Ford, there will be a #2 who isn't #2 on purely technical grounds but just because (s)he didn't arrive at just the right time, like the current #1 luckily did.