Raj De Datta Is Wrong: You are not “wasting” your 20s at Google or McKinsey. Here’s why:

This morning, when I logged into LinkedIn, I saw an article titled "Don't Waste Your 20s at Google or McKinsey." And I disagree with it completely.

The article's author Raj De Datta writes, "Going to work at a start-up or growth company in your 20s will put you on the fast-lane learning curve. It will be the best investment you can make because you’ll find yourself." Your 20s, are, of course, a period of 10 years. I am now 28 years old, and have spent approximately half of my time thus far working for others, and the other half working for myself. While I may be happier overall when pursuing entrepreneurial activities, I am very thankful for the many learning experiences I had at big companies.

The article's author, Raj De Datta has worked at a couple of larger firms, Cisco in the tech space, and at the investment bank Lazard. Perhaps he chose not to learn while working there, or he didn't want to advance up the corporate ladders of those institutions.

I am more and more dismayed when I see wantrapreneurs striking out with poorly thought out ideas, wasting their parents hard-earned money, or having zero idea how to run a business because they have never worked at a successful one.

I am quite thankful for the time I spent at William Morris Endeavor (only Endeavor when I worked there), Mother Jones magazine (a large non-profit, technically), Seamless.com (now merged with GrubHub), and Quirky.com -- all far larger companies than SkillBridge is today. At larger companies you learn to deal with people: Sure, not every person will be the best. But it is your job to learn to work with them, come hell or high water -- so that you, your team, and the larger company can succeed. These experiences have certainly benefited me as an entrepreneur: My customer service skills are now superb because of my experiences dealing with colleagues and customers over the years.

As for De Datta's argument that Google or McKinsey aren't ideal places to work, that is complete and utter nonsense. My most intelligent friends from the University of Pennsylvania and other fine institutions started their careers at Google, McKinsey, or other large tech or consulting firms. Some of them are still there -- and those who stuck around seem quite happy. For example, my good friend Josh Steinberg heads professional services for Google in Tokyo, his dream city, and has traveled all around the world, on Google's dime. My other good friend Anastasia Leng founded Hatch.co after working at Google for five years. Neither of them would change a thing about their 20s. They were able to pay off their student loans, travel, and live excellent lives that will prepare them well for the future.

It is no secret that at SkillBridge, we recruit individuals to become our consultants who have at least three years experience working at large, name brand corporations. This is not an accident: We know that Google, McKinsey, and other top-tier firms have vetted their candidates well. We know that it is challenging to work at these places and that Google and McKinsey employees solve real-world problems every single day. Therefore, we know that Google, McKinsey, Bain, and BCG produce the cream of the crop. Why wouldn't we want these top-notch people to work for us at SkillBridge?

Plus, not everyone is an entrepreneur; Not everyone wants the stress of starting a new company. And not everyone can afford to take the risk to work without payment for a long time, as many entrepreneurs do. Many people would rather spend time with their kids or spouse rather than working at a startup.

More than 90% of startups fail, despite what some Millennial-focused publications may have you believe. There is nothing wrong with wanting the stability, benefits, and perks that come with working at a large corporation. If you have to pay back student loans, few more sensible options exist.

There are dozens of valid reasons why someone would want to work at Google, McKinsey, or another top firm. Heck, many people treat a stint at McKinsey, Bain, or BCG as a free ride to graduate school in which you are being paid to work. The training that you will get at these firms is incomaparable, and can lead to life-long benefits -- being able to bill out at $150 or more per hour at SkillBridge being just one of them.

So, to Raj De Datta -- who may have just written that article as a recruiting tool for his startup: Stop spreading your gospel, as it is inherently false. And to everyone who did work at a large corporation in your 20s, I don't need to tell you this, but you made a smart choice.