The main reason I consult to startups over taking a gig with a FAANG type is location. Silicon Valley, SFO, SEA, PDX are all lovely places to visit, but I don't want to live there, pay the mortgage there, or sit in a commute there. Yes I make a lot less than I'd like, but I also have total control over my schedule, get to work on green-field type projects, and get to work from my laptop in my garden.