Living your entire life in order to optimise your CV is something that you will almost certainly regret.
Fwiw i completely agree. This whole scheme is about more than that, but I am interested in derisking.
Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
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Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#12> What can I do to minimize my risk of having lower chances on the job market due to this adventure? a. Don’t quit your day-job until the side-project makes atleast two times your current comp. b. Work on it for a year; realize you’re way in over your head and pretend it never happened. Line on CV: “took a sabbatical for one year.” > What data do recruiters and employers look at to determine if the failed startup lis…
Thanks, i appreciate this answer a lot. A) makes sense but I am a bit worried about IP issues? The point about the network is a great one to keep in mind.
Ask your manager for a waiver, and an invention assignment on your side-project.
It’s not a business; but a side-project (right now) — assuming it’s tech-related. If it’s a non-tech business, where you’re not generating IP, even better.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#13> What can I do to minimize my risk of having lower chances on the job market due to this adventure? a. Don’t quit your day-job until the side-project makes atleast two times your current comp. b. Work on it for a year; realize you’re way in over your head and pretend it never happened. Line on CV: “took a sabbatical for one year.” > What data do recruiters and employers look at to determine if the failed startup lis…
> a. Don’t quit your day-job until the side-project makes atleast two times your current comp.
This advice doesn't really apply if you work in FAANG. You generally give up the ownership of any IP you create while under their employment, at least in my experience.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#14> What can I do to minimize my risk of having lower chances on the job market due to this adventure? a. Don’t quit your day-job until the side-project makes atleast two times your current comp. b. Work on it for a year; realize you’re way in over your head and pretend it never happened. Line on CV: “took a sabbatical for one year.” > What data do recruiters and employers look at to determine if the failed startup lis…
This answer is completely nonsensical. I wonder if it's a satire, especially the last line? I have never once met an employer who grilled me on gaps in my resume and if the question did come up, most were positively surprised that I took a jab at something risky and came out better in the process. In the industry where starting up is so commonplace, I have hard time believing even a corporate company weighing it too much against a candidate.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#15Ask your employer to work Part-Time (e.g. 3 or 4d/w).
That will free a lot of time to prototype and experiment with your SaaS, while keeping a stable income stream. You'll basically an infinite runway to launch your product.
CV-wise, that's even better as the experience you'll get on your side-business (product dev, project management, new techs ...) will add up nicely to your regular job's. There will be no empty line on your CV.
I've been doing this for 4y, taking free time, learning new techs and and trying to launch various SaaS, and my CV would never been as great if I kept working full-time. I'm also significantly happier.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#16> What can I do to minimize my risk of having lower chances on the job market due to this adventure? a. Don’t quit your day-job until the side-project makes atleast two times your current comp. b. Work on it for a year; realize you’re way in over your head and pretend it never happened. Line on CV: “took a sabbatical for one year.” > What data do recruiters and employers look at to determine if the failed startup lis…
This answer is completely nonsensical. I wonder if it's a satire, especially the last line? I have never once met an employer who grilled me on gaps in my resume and if the question did come up, most were positively surprised that I took a jab at something risky and came out better in the process. In the industry where starting up is so commonplace, I have hard time believing even a corporate company weighing it too…
My close(ish) confidants in my industry will be understanding; and those outside of my inner circle will be polite and cordial about it; but behind closed doors people will judge you, and use it against you.
Perhaps we simply run in different circles.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#17I think that if you have FAANG on your resume and you showed that you attempted to build an entire software company/product that you will be fine.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
This answer is completely nonsensical. I wonder if it's a satire, especially the last line? I have never once met an employer who grilled me on gaps in my resume and if the question did come up, most were positively surprised that I took a jab at something risky and came out better in the process. In the industry where starting up is so commonplace, I have hard time believing even a corporate company weighing it too…
My close(ish) confidants in my industry will be understanding; and those outside of my inner circle will be polite and cordial about it; but behind closed doors people will judge you, and use it against you. Perhaps we simply run in different circles.
If a company is going to judge me in that way then I wouldn't want to work for them anyways. Would be like dodging a bullet for me.
Maybe I do run in different circles too. I have only worked for small companies where upper management knows me and values me. I'm not just a faceless employee and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#19Have you considered somewhat of a smoother transition? Keep your current job and work extra to get to a point where leaving the FAANG job is a natural next step.
How do you get around IP ownership issues? I believe FAANG company contracts claim ownership of any IP you develop while employed. Are these not really enforceable and can be ignored?
Not in California, no. It’s why the tech industry exists there and not (as much) in eg Texas.
California has a bunch of laws related to labor ( section 96, section 2870 ) that have the effect of making it easy to start a company on your off hours
Re: Ask HN: How to minimize career risk from an attempted startup
#20Have specific milestones and bail on the project if you don't meet them. One major risk is not failing fast, even with a lifestyle business. It's easy to lose a decade with a modestly profitable lifestyle SaaS