4 myths about working at a startup — that aren’t always true
There’s no denying the infamy surrounding startup workplace culture but in reality, there’s a stark contrast between the myths and what actually goes down.
I’m sure you’re aware of the mystery and intrigue regarding startup culture from the plethora of pop culture references touching on the topic. Through this noise the reality has become clouded by misinformation, leaving us with myths that don’t accurately capture the nature of all startup workplaces.
In an attempt to get to the bottom of these myths and dispel them in a public forum, I’ve decided to unpack the four that seemed to weave their way to the top of my mind and those of my colleagues based on our collective reflection of startup culture.
Job security…or lack thereof
We’re told that the ultimate career goal is to graduate and land a job at an established company. The way we perceive job security is closely linked to the age of the organisation, with government and banking positions being observed as a safe option and startups as the risky option.
Awareness of how job security is colloquially perceived is only a piece of the puzzle. The most important piece is the context it holds in today’s workplace climate.
Specifically, job insecurity is not unique to startups.
Of course, there are startups that fail but there are widespread layoffs in every industry and organisational age is not always an indicator of future redundancies. There are external factors at play in every job and at every stage of your career.
As terrifying as that might sound, the alternative perspective would be to question:
If I can lose my job at any time due to things out of my control, why not work on something I actually care about?
There’s no perfect science to indicate exactly which startup will be the safest, however, investigating startups and their structure, investment status and leadership team are just a few ways to reduce worries about job security with a startup.
Work = Life
There’s a lot to be done at startups. Things move quickly and no two days are alike. This reality paints an image of startup employees routinely burning the midnight oil and losing their personal lives to their job.
However, does that imply that this scenario is replicated within all startups?
Irrespective of where you work, taking work home and never seeing your family is not something to brag about and it is 100%, not a startup thing. It’s a company culture thing.
At the end of the day, startups are interested in work getting done, not necessarily within specific set hours or which chair you’re sitting in.
In contrast, established corporate organisations who are known for their long-standing policies and rules; startups are usually in a position to provide flexible working options due to their agile nature. Whether that means having the ability to do the school drop-offs, working from home or even the option for remote work.
Show me the money!!
In a similar vein to the job security myth, we’re led to believe that the only employers who pay competitively are large corporations and that if we venture into the startup world, our bank balances would suffer as a result.
Resources available at an established organisation are likely to be a world of difference to that of a startup. That doesn’t necessarily mean that startups can’t match or beat market-rate salaries. Just take a look at the startup salary guide from AngelList.
The fact of the matter is startups need talented teams to achieve growth so, to attract and retain said talent, remuneration needs to be and remain competitive.
Whilst compensation and benefits packages differ from business to business, startups are in a position to provide additional financial perks such as salary-sacrificing and equity options.
Stuck in the mud
Career progression & professional development within a startup are far from identical to that of more traditional organisations which is why it can seem unclear to how it might translate. I know I’ve found myself pondering:
If startups are small and have the possibility of failing, how could I possibly develop as a professional and progress in my career?
Sure, startups are small and there are many that fail, but for those that don’t the opportunities on offer simply can’t be beaten by corporate organisations.
Depending on the startup, there’s the opportunity to learn directly from founders and develop skills across a variety of functions. Promotions at startups aren’t necessarily linked to people management and instead can be based on personal career aspirations.
Since startups need to hire best in class talent to achieve ambitious growth, working at one leans itself to bumping heads and sharing knowledge with some seriously talented individuals.
As we start to dig a little deeper into these myths it’s clear that whilst each may be true to some extent, they’re not specific to startups.
Clipchampions empower everyone to become a creator of awesome video content. Our work has a real-time impact on over 8M people and counting from basically everywhere except Antarctica. We’re transforming the way people create and we’re only just getting started! See our current opening here >> https://clipchamp.com/en/company/careers/
