Berlin is a pretty excellent place if you're after a compromise b/w QoL and business. The tech scene is 50%+ expats and the mixture does wonders for company culture. It's also quite easy to connect with people and do freelancing, and I know many people fluidly joining and leaving different teams – doing freelancing for some, joining for equity at others, and sometimes groups form for exciting ad-hoc collaborations without an immediate profit motive.

Berlin doesn't have an much of an industrial base, though. It was an enclave during the 40 years where most of the large manufacturing companies grew and it was impossible to do so from here. Siemens, for example, moved to Munich after 1945. So it may depend on the industry you're targeting. For some (mobility, politics, web, environment) Berlin has gotten more attractive in the last years, with companies sometimes opening offices to connect with the tech scene.

Large companies are obviously more conservative, but the differences are minor compared to their international peers. Bureaucracy tends to be much less of a hassle as people make it out to be.