11–17 of 17 posts
I really wish we'd reframe this perennial question as "how do I detect crap startups?" That seems the biggest question for my friends in Bigco: they're afraid of finding out in a year that an enterprise was never going anywhere.
Joining a startup is tricky business. The nature of a startup is so dynamic that what you joined a startup for may not be what you end up doing at a startup. So if you joined a startup for something you felt passion of, particular tech or idea. Then be wary as this may change and you might find your self working on something totally different, especially if the control is not in your hands. More importantly make sure…
'Employees in a startup have a chance to make money when the company exits, i.e., gets acquired or goes public'
This attitude that a purchase or IPO is the only possible way for a startup to earn money for its employees would be laughable anywhere outside computerland.
So very first sentence of Myth #1: 'Employees in a startup have a chance to make money when the company exits, i.e., gets acquired or goes public' This attitude that a purchase or IPO is the only possible way for a startup to earn money for its employees would be laughable anywhere outside computerland.
I'm not sure I'd laud startups for 'career security'. Outside the valley echo-chamber, few companies have any respect for startup experience. ('startup' sounds a lot like 'small company' if you aren't a hacker...) Also, for every startup where young employees get a chance to punch above their weight, there's another where the devs grind all day long on customer support issues and maintenance. On the whole I'm persona…
Alternatively, working at a startup may not have the same cache when not in the Valley, but you might get a chance to work with some awesome tools that are ahead of the curve that would get you experience for a future job.
> working at a startup might not have the same cache ...
By the way, I think you mean 'cachet': http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cachet
The article misses another startup benefit: flexibility. As a single mom raising a special needs kid, I'm often looked at as crazy for getting involved with start-ups. People assume I'm really rolling the dice with regard to my child's care. The reality is just the opposite: I like working with start-ups because BigCorp can't really handle anything different than the norm. StartupInc on the other hand, in order to re…
The article misses another startup benefit: flexibility. As a single mom raising a special needs kid, I'm often looked at as crazy for getting involved with start-ups. People assume I'm really rolling the dice with regard to my child's care. The reality is just the opposite: I like working with start-ups because BigCorp can't really handle anything different than the norm. StartupInc on the other hand, in order to re…
You might find things have changed at a lot of big companies since you last looked. Many of my friends who are parents get a lot of flexibility with their jobs due to the workplace diversity programmes that urge managers to cater for people in different situations.