Why don’t we mention salary in the job description?

This was a question that one of my friends put in front of me. I strongly believe that many of the applicants also want to know it before applying. Here it is why we don’t:

1. Salary does not define a startup: We are all working towards meaningful prosperity where we are known for the product that people wanted. We believe money will find its course if we ship the right product. We want applicants to understand that they are escaping the bliss of corporate for an unconventional growth. Take the first step driven by the work we do and NOT salary on the offer or how swanky the office is or what perks do we offer. We are looking out for people driven by challenge, hence be extremely curious to know what problem we are solving. Money distracts best of minds! Startups are unconventional and unconventional growth comes with unconventional thinking.
2. Salary does not solve chaos and risk: Startups are more often chaotic and risky. The best paid startups in India are not only chaotic today but also going through one of the most testing times. Even the best paid were either shown the door or they left at the sight of risk! However, close knit startups are able to overcome difficult times not because the team is paid enough but the team is driven by the challenge in front of them. The grit to face a challenge cannot be bought by money but it becomes stronger in company of like-minded people. It’s a culture of grit & care that founders incubate right from the beginning. We are here to build a culture of CARE for our users and our people.
3. It’s a trap: Let me reveal a secret here, if you talk about salary before showing interest in the work, you have almost lost the job. It doesn’t matter even if you are the smartest person on paper than the entire team. Individuals never drive the company, it’s the team. Even if you have internally found out the salary on offer and pretending to be interested in the job, you are not going to last long. I bet!
4. Startups that attract talent because of their attractive salary do not last long: It’s a no brainer if you are following the current scenario of most funded startups in India. Does a $2 billion of funding assure you of a secured job?

We understand that you need to pay your bills. We also understand that the society keeps on checking your status by the salary you earn. Let me ask you to work on the myth of salary so that you have a first hand experience. Talk to people who have worked in startups for 2+ years and check the following:

• Why did they not worry about their bills when chips were down?
• How did they manage during bad times?
• What support did they get from team, especially founders?

If you find answer to these questions, please do respond. We’ll be happy to host you. We are here for collective growth and no one is here to push you into bad waters. If you are a good match for a startup, founders go beyond their means to get you on board. Salary is the last thing that anyone of us wants to get in between building a close knit team.Startups might underpay you at the beginning but the equities that you earn will take you to the roof. Ask employees, even the office boys, at Flipkart, Citruspay & Paytm where they earned much more than their years of salaries combined at the maturity of the equities they held. Invest yourself in equities, it is the surest way of fulfilling dreams.Startups are tough because rewards are unpredictable and often rewards are far-fetched. What makes it even more sucking is that your fear of waste of time could come out to be true if you really get trapped in the nets of attractive salary more than creating value for your customers!

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.”

— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

By the way, if you too believe in the above, we are expanding our team. Please check here