FAANG are just big companies and startups are just very small ones. Working at a small company can be very liberating compared to working at big companies. There's no HR, processes, blocks, fake brand values or anything really. You get a hand in everything and you end up understanding how everything works. You might have less benefits in terms of salary or whatever but you get to make so many more decisions and you learn more broadly. I've worked at both, currently in a global org. I'll be going back to a small company very soon as the pace of things is a joke.
One thing to note, small companies turn into big companies and the bullshit quickly follows.