So, I have been around the block, worked for major companies that were once startups, which subsequently paid out nicely, and also worked for many smaller start ups with talented yet flailing people.
In my own experience, I have determined that working for start ups sucks. Think about it, a Facebook, Google, etc only come along every so often. What are the odds? slim. Even if you are working for a venture backed company, if you come in at the VP level or below, you wont have any equity, shares, and the pay usually sucks. Even if your founder was a product manager at Google, or was an early Yahoo, you will likely not make any money. Typically your product is unproven and your taking a gamble trying to convince everyone in your life to believe in some other persons idea.
Some say, oh, the experience is what matters. I say BS. Your many hats will not be useful anywhere else. If you get disillusioned into trying a start up, and go back to a big corp, you will have a very tough time fitting in. I have found that start ups are usually a hodge podge of some really good people, and a lot of really bad people that couldnt get hired in a real company. The sucky people will make you hate your life, and the good people are usually keeping everything afloat.
Two ways to avoid start ups;
1) Work for a well established company with solid products and services, with good benefits and a network you can leverage. and..
2) Only work for a startup if YOU are either the Owner, Founder, Principle Investor, Chairman of the Board, etc.
The sweaty equity, subsequent psychosis and embarrassment you will endure working for someone elses idea might as well be your own. If you work 60-80 hrs per week on someone elses idea you will likely be moderately successful if you put that much time and energy into your own. If you dont have any capital, work nights and weekends, while you work somewhere that pays fairly well and provides you with health benefits. Dont trust someones glossy resume who is trying to lure you into a start up to earn less money, especially if they were just an employee at some awesome company and were not a founder, they were likely not a part of any of its success.
In my own experience, I have determined that working for start ups sucks. Think about it, a Facebook, Google, etc only come along every so often. What are the odds? slim. Even if you are working for a venture backed company, if you come in at the VP level or below, you wont have any equity, shares, and the pay usually sucks. Even if your founder was a product manager at Google, or was an early Yahoo, you will likely not make any money. Typically your product is unproven and your taking a gamble trying to convince everyone in your life to believe in some other persons idea.
Some say, oh, the experience is what matters. I say BS. Your many hats will not be useful anywhere else. If you get disillusioned into trying a start up, and go back to a big corp, you will have a very tough time fitting in. I have found that start ups are usually a hodge podge of some really good people, and a lot of really bad people that couldnt get hired in a real company. The sucky people will make you hate your life, and the good people are usually keeping everything afloat.
Two ways to avoid start ups;
1) Work for a well established company with solid products and services, with good benefits and a network you can leverage. and..
2) Only work for a startup if YOU are either the Owner, Founder, Principle Investor, Chairman of the Board, etc.
The sweaty equity, subsequent psychosis and embarrassment you will endure working for someone elses idea might as well be your own. If you work 60-80 hrs per week on someone elses idea you will likely be moderately successful if you put that much time and energy into your own. If you dont have any capital, work nights and weekends, while you work somewhere that pays fairly well and provides you with health benefits. Dont trust someones glossy resume who is trying to lure you into a start up to earn less money, especially if they were just an employee at some awesome company and were not a founder, they were likely not a part of any of its success.
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