Which job is more like building a cathedral? (Score 1)

In addition to the work environment and platform, I would look beyond the company or job shop to examine whom and what mission it is serving, e.g. who are its customers or clients. At the end of the day (and your life) you want to feel inside like you helped build something terrific for a great cause.

This is purportedly how Steve Jobs sold John Scully, the former Pepsi executive, on working for Apple Computer: he asked him, paraphrasing, "Do you just want to sell sugar water all your life, or do you want to change the world?"

A stodgy platform may be a reasonable choice if you're "building a cathedral" with it in a job that aligns with your deepest personal aspirations. But if your apps are just helping someone sell sugar water better, you might not be very satisfied, regardless of money or platform. My two cents.