6 Considerations in Deciding to Work at an Early-Stage Startup
Joining an early-stage company is risky, but you can de-risk your decision.
Joining an early-stage startup comes with many tradeoffs. In a team of just three to five other employees, the company can feel more like an interest club at times. On the one hand, you get much more autonomy, your work is likely to have more impact, and you enjoy the work you do. On the other hand, the risk of failure is very high, you might be busier and more stressed than with a normal job, and the pay may be lower than average.
Therefore, when it comes to deciding whether or not you should join a startup, selecting the right one matters: it will help with reducing the risk and maximizing the upside, although you may be just as busy, if not busier. While it feels like a big guess, there are many considerations that you can take to help with measuring the risk and potentially avoiding a dud.
What’s the Team Like?
Early-stage investors care more about the team than the business idea. That’s because ideas are a dime a dozen, but it takes the right people to transform another worthless idea into a unicorn. As a potential employee (or even a cofounder), you should also prioritize the team when deciding about joining the…
