I did comp sci in undergrad several years ago. In that context, "big tech" (FAANG) was a desirable outcome for many, but it was also considered the safe/boring option for students at top schools. A lot of the smartest and most ambitious people I knew opted to go to start-ups or smaller companies instead. This was not seen as a lesser outcome in any way.
It seems like among law students who want to go into private practice (setting aside those bound for public interest or government), big law is the end-all be-all. People obsess over big law rates at T14 schools. I get the sense that going to a smaller private firm is seen as almost universally worse. Why is that? Don't ambitious, talented lawyers want to strike out on their own, or in smaller groups, rather than be stuck in the gears of one of these behemoths?