Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
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Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#2I joined a startup for stability once. It was way more stable than the megacorp I left.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#3Good points.
You'll end up in chaotic work environments, but you'll learn so much, especially how to solve the problems that arise with these environments.
These are the skills you need for your own startup.
If you "just need a job to pay the rent" it probably isn't for you.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#4There's an unspoken thread here that shows the benefit of startup communities, which is that they help you survive failure much more easily. It would appear that the unsuccessful ventures didn't severely limit access to opportunities and compel him to go work for a big company. If his community had been different, or if he had listened to the well-meaning people who undoubtedly recommended that he get a 'real job', this likely wouldn't have been the case.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#5The problem with startups has always been a fundamental one, and not really one you can change without redefining what a startup actually is - people try way too hard to start them.
Let me explain; it's reported very very often on YC that 90% of startups fail, and while a lot of these points in the article are disguised as separate ideas, they're all part of the same problem being that people want to make something from nothing, hence why it is called a startup. Traditional businesses begin by pivoting off an exiting business or product, whereby if you're a chemist working for DuPont and develop a new chemical, they might make a subsidiary to produce that. That process is way easier, the money and infrastructure is already there, and everyone is already neatly on board.
Contrast this with a startup. You're probably young, lacking financial and networking support, education, and many other things. You want to make a product the world has likely never seen before, completely from scratch. Well, of course your management is going to be shit. Of course you're going to find shit employees. Of course it's unlikely to succeed. This article was completely unnecessary because everyone should know by now what a startup entails, and that it is fundamentally unstable, but that doesn't mean it's not important as a venture and concept.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#6how does one find startups to work for? I enjoy intensity, chaos, and learning in my job and my big corp job is just not providing that. I'm planning on moving to one of the tech hubs next year and trying to work at a startup of sorts, not sure where to start
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#7I think it's interesting that the major point is that you will learn a lot, but he also says that you should not expect to be mentored or given any real direction. This is definitely my experience, but it doesn't mean that startups teach you these things, it means that you have to teach yourself these things and you are in an environment where you are forced to do it.
You can also do this and keep your day job if you start your own side project. Obviously it might not be an intense as joining a small startup, but you get to keep your day job pay. Self-motivation is a requirement though.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#8how does one find startups to work for? I enjoy intensity, chaos, and learning in my job and my big corp job is just not providing that. I'm planning on moving to one of the tech hubs next year and trying to work at a startup of sorts, not sure where to start
Go to startup oriented meetups in your city.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#9I joined a startup for stability once. It was way more stable than the megacorp I left.
I think it depends on your definition of stability.
Megacorp: The company won't disappear overnight, but you might get tossed around different positions and have projects you've spent a year on shut down out of nowhere.
Startup: The company itself may shut down, but in the meantime everything is more focused and transparent.
Re: Why you should, and shouldn’t, join a startup
#10I think it's interesting that the major point is that you will learn a lot, but he also says that you should not expect to be mentored or given any real direction. This is definitely my experience, but it doesn't mean that startups teach you these things, it means that you have to teach yourself these things and you are in an environment where you are forced to do it. You can also do this and keep your day job if you…
There are a lot of things that you simply can't learn by yourself, though. The practicalities of doing things on a team, at scale, are just out of scope for personal side projects.