So, you wanna work in a startup, eh?
A lot of young people I meet today tell me that they want to work for a startup… only, if they knew better!
I was on a plane a few weeks ago going to Delhi for work. I sat next to a chatty, young man. Fifteen minutes into a two hour flight, he starts talking about his career and aspirations, with more gusto after I told him I was an EIR and program director of a startup accelerator.
I asked him, out of politeness, what he did and he said he was in-between jobs and that he was looking for work in the startup space.
He’s not the only person since then. In the past two weeks, I have met at least 4 people who said that they would prefer working in startups than in big corporates. And shockingly for their first job (but never mind that!).
Big fish or small fish?
In 2005, I had three offers in my hand. One from a startup, one from a mid-sized company and one from a larger organization. I was keen on working for the startup but wasn’t really sure. And so, I called up my mentor to ask him what he thought I should do. He listened patiently as I told him about the offers and what I thought of them and then suggested that I join the third company. I was taken aback and asked him why.
“Do you want to be a big fish in a small pond — never being challenged, never learning anything new, or do you want to be a small fish in a big pond — always threatened for job security, always having to learn something new and learning how to work with teams, across functions, about people and processes?”, is what he asked me.
I knew what he meant.
It wasn’t my first job, but the role that I was applying for was new to me, so in a way, it was like my first job. And what he said, made sense. I took the third offer.
Yes, a startup is more exciting and vibrant and challenging, but there are still lots more things to learn and excel at. And no matter how good the job and the startup is, there are things you will never get to learn until it might be too late.
The learning and growth may not be a big thing, because what you learn and how you grow depends on you as a person. If you are inclined to both, you’ll pick tricks and tips no matter what you are doing. And so, if you are the explorer (not wanderer, explorer!), it doesn’t matter what your jobs are. Big or small pond will not matter.
A calculated move
Working in and for a startup is hard and risky. Of course, with bigger risks come better rewards, but it depends on how big your risk appetite is and how much of a safety net you have.
You need to assess the risks objectively. And most of these risks revolve around two things — money and the high possibility of throwing your career off track.
Money
The money’s not good, at least initially. So, if you are used to a lavish lifestyle, your new work may not be able to support it. And you will need a life-line (savings) in order to get you through the lean months during which you may not get paid, so if you got bills to pay and school fees to provide, you better have a big balance in the bank. If you don’t have savings, have dependents and cannot compromise on your fancy meals, this is going to crush you sooner than you think.
Career
Multiple short-term (less than a year) jobs on a resume do not look good. Especially, when you do not get a chance to talk and explain your side of the story when some inexperienced graduate is skimming through a pile of resumes for his/her boss.
I know, because I used to have that kind of a resume.
In my early- and mid-twenties (the period I was planning to settle down with a girl), I wanted to take up a job and every place I went, they snubbed at the fact that I didn’t stick to a job (or it didn’t stick to me) for a longer period. It took a heavy toll on my career path. Also, this and the low pay combined, will make it difficult for you to ask for a salary that you deserve, if and when you take up a job.
The Caveat
Of course, this may not happen to you. And if it did, you may survive. I sure survived all the foolish career decisions I made early in my life — starting my own stuff, working for startups, etc., but if you compare my trajectory with that of my classmates from school or college, it is not as steep as theirs.
I’m okay with that. If I look back on the past 23 years of my life, I don’t really have such big regrets (perhaps a few, but nothing that I would go back and change). If you think you can look into a bleak cash-strapped future and look back without shame or regrets, then you might just enjoy the ride!
If you liked/loved the story, hit the ♡ to make it look like ❤ or share it on facebook/twitter and help others find this story.
Find me here: on Facebook, on Twitter, on Linkedin.
Wanna talk? Set up a meeting with me.
