What characteristics are more typical for a small startup and how do they differ from large established projects?

Small startups are usually characterized by high flexibility, rapid development cycles, and fewer formal processes. They often have less documentation, fewer management levels, and developers can quickly change the project's direction. The codebase may be less structured, with a focus on speed to market.

In contrast, large established projects prioritize stability, scalability, and maintainability. They have more processes, code with stricter standards, extensive documentation, and testing. Changes go through several review stages, and the architecture is designed for long-term development.