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Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

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Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#71

Post by tptacek »

The easiest way to commit yourself to leaving a job and to navigate explaining yourself to the company happens to also be the way you should always be leaving jobs: by quietly interviewing for other jobs.

Find a new role somewhere else that you like and accept it. Go back to your current team and inform them that you've enjoyed your time working with them, but you can't pass up the new opportunity.

The only problem I think you have here is that you haven't started interviewing yet. So, of course you feel aimless and uncertain about your next step.

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#72

Post by jroseattle »

Sometimes the wisdom of the crowds is a bit circumspect. Not in this case -- listen to what most everyone here is saying.

As for advice, make it a business decision. Take the emotion out of it, look at it objectively (as much as you can), then take action.

Don't be concerned with personal relationships with the "founders". They're presently benefiting from your participation much more so than you are of theirs. If they're worthy of your friendship, they will understand when you depart. If they react badly, they were never good relationships to begin with.

As for your reputation, just be productive. Startups all over the valley need productive engineers; they do not need more people pontificating about others. If you do that, your reputation will take care of itself.

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#74

Post by jroseattle »

chanon wrote: post #37

I think it's clear that you don't need convincing that you should move on (which a lot of comments here seem to be trying to do). Your problem as you say is you want to keep a good relationship with the founders. While others say there is no value in that because of their past performance, I think if it's not necessary to burn bridges then why do it? Who knows, they could provide a good reference for a great opportun…

> Give advance notice...2 months

As an employer, I'd love this type of notice. As an employee, I'd be short-circuiting my control of the situation.

The key to the conversation is that he is an employee, not a founder. This sounds like a situation where the employee is expected to act as a founder in some situations, but back down in others. Frankly, that's a bad situation in which the employee never succeeds.

While the advance-notice advice is worthy of good people, I have serious doubts about the founders for the OP's entity. I'd personally be prepared to assume that any notion of I-am-outta-here will lead to a burned bridge.

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#75

Post by pedalpete »

tptacek wrote: post #71

The easiest way to commit yourself to leaving a job and to navigate explaining yourself to the company happens to also be the way you should always be leaving jobs: by quietly interviewing for other jobs. Find a new role somewhere else that you like and accept it. Go back to your current team and inform them that you've enjoyed your time working with them, but you can't pass up the new opportunity. The only problem I…

As a new engineer without a significant work history, how does the poster interview and not have the hiring company contact his current company for a reference?

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#76

Post by samstr »

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #63
adriand wrote: post #49

Everybody keeps telling you that you ought to leave, but that advice isn't terribly helpful, since it is obvious that you already know you need to do that. Often, many of the most difficult decisions in life are not what you should do - because deep down, you already know - but how do it. This is true for your decision right now. A few thoughts for you on that: 1. Irrevocably commit to doing it. Book a meeting with t…

Agreed. You can quit any job at any time, with little or no repercussion, if you do it politely and professionally. A catchall is "personal reasons prevent me from continuing at {wherever} at this time".

Such a vague reason might not be so easy in a team of 3 who have become close over the course of a year. Different story in a larger company.

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#77

Post by tptacek »

pedalpete wrote: post #75
tptacek wrote: post #71

The easiest way to commit yourself to leaving a job and to navigate explaining yourself to the company happens to also be the way you should always be leaving jobs: by quietly interviewing for other jobs. Find a new role somewhere else that you like and accept it. Go back to your current team and inform them that you've enjoyed your time working with them, but you can't pass up the new opportunity. The only problem I…

As a new engineer without a significant work history, how does the poster interview and not have the hiring company contact his current company for a reference?

By asking them not to contact his current company. This happens all the time.

I really don't understand why there's any drama here at all. As a matter of course, you should have your next opportunity lined up before you inform your employer that you're thinking about leaving.

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#79

Post by clueless123 »

fatalerrorx3 wrote: post #64

Wow. This sounds exactly like me and my situation. Exactly a year ago at the beginning of May I began working on my first startup, after doing freelance web development for several years. The startup was founded by 2 non-tech guys, I am employee #1 (tech guy, engineer), developing everything from the ground up. The product vision is not focused enough and is causing us to go into 100 different directions. 1 of the co…

Sometimes you have to look at it like this: It is a Job, It pays the bills, unless something better paying shows up, I a sticking with it. At the end of the day, money in the bank is the best way to achieve the freedom to do what you really want to do. (when ever you figure that out)

Re: Ask HN: losing faith in the startup where I'm employee #1

#80

Post by ChrisBanner »

pedalpete wrote: post #75
tptacek wrote: post #71

The easiest way to commit yourself to leaving a job and to navigate explaining yourself to the company happens to also be the way you should always be leaving jobs: by quietly interviewing for other jobs. Find a new role somewhere else that you like and accept it. Go back to your current team and inform them that you've enjoyed your time working with them, but you can't pass up the new opportunity. The only problem I…

As a new engineer without a significant work history, how does the poster interview and not have the hiring company contact his current company for a reference?

Often times the prospective company will ask you outright if they can contact your current employer. Companies with a formal application process may prompt you in the documentation they ask you to fill out.

Regardless, there is no harm in saying no. It's the norm for folks that are exploring other opportunities. The only time it may be questionable is if you've already left (or been let go by) your previous employer.

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