This month, I wanted to share some things that I have learned since I’ve entered the startup/tech world and provide a roundup of career development articles focused on working at startups.
I left the steady space of higher education to join the chaotic world of startups and tech back in 2019, and it has been a roller coaster ride since I made that transition (but I don’t regret it at all)! I’ve learned more in these past few years than what I learned in graduate school. I first entered this scene by taking on a management role at a tech bootcamp that was owned by WeWork right before WeWork’s IPO failed. Covid hit and things were not looking great for WeWork or any of its acquisitions which led me to join a very early stage and mission driven startup where I was one of the first 10 employees.
The startup’s mission was a reaction to massive unemployment from the pandemic and so I was able to experiment and design many different kinds of programs and tools that helped professionals land their next job. Startups are risky especially seed stage startups so I was not surprised when our founder told me that they were going in a different direction and my job was no longer needed. The startup needed to survive on a short runway until they could raise more funds so it was a business decision that made sense. I was lucky in that I landed a new job at my current startup while I was still finishing up projects at the old one.
Right now, I work for a Series A startup that has about 200 employees. In just a year it went from 8 employees to this number. There has been a lot of changes since I joined earlier this year but I’ve now learned that is the nature of this space. I’ve had the opportunity to build new things from scratch and learn new skills at each of these companies while being exposed to different parts of how a business operates. I sometimes wonder if this is a better education than going to business school.
If you have the appetite for ambiguity, risk, and lots of change, you might want to consider dipping your toe into the startup space. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I sometimes feel like I am on the edge of burnout during weeks when I find myself working into the night or on the weekends since things move fast. However, there is something about the energy in this space that keeps me going.
This thread on Twitter basically sums up what to expect if you want to go work for an early stage startup:
Pete shares four things that you will get from working at a startup: learning, time with people you know are good, deep exposure to a problem, and being an “owner.” He shared that the things that you might not get are mentorship, people management, title growth, and money.
In my experience, I have definitely observed this to be the case either for myself or for others. The people I’ve met in this space are probably the most talented and motivated professionals I’ve encountered since I joined the work world. I’ve also noticed that formal management relationships are not the norm in startups. I’ve reported to both the Founder and the Chief Community Officer at one startup but both relationships were nothing like I’ve had in the past with a manager. When people say that startups lack structure, that is quite true in my experience. It takes a certain amount of discipline and self direction to be successful in my experience. You need to act like an “owner” is a common saying in the startup world.
Job titles are a joke at startups. Many times they are made up for outward appearances rather than exactly defining what the day to day role entails. Also, you will see a lot of early career professionals with very elevated titles due to the nature of joining an early stage startup where you report directly into the founder. My own job title changed several times at one startup to keep up with the changes in the business.
I can confirm that it is quite a special experience to be able to work so closely with the founder of a company and get to be part of making their vision a reality. You get firsthand exposure to all parts of the business during weekly “all hands” meetings or just through the day to day work since the team is so small. This is something you won’t get at a large company or organization since you usually stay in your lane. Also, I have noticed that people move around a lot either within the startup or between different startups. Job hopping is normal and accepted due to the nature of startups.
If you want to read more about what it’s like to work at a startup or how to make the shift into this space, here are a number of articles dedicated to this topic:
6 Considerations in Deciding to Work at an Early-Stage Startup: Joining an early-stage company is risky, but you can de-risk your decision.
You Can Work for a Startup! Here’s How: Learn about how startups can offer a wide range of opportunities for people from many different industries and fields.
Find Startups by Venture Capital Firm: See what companies VC firms have invested in so you can work at a “winning” company.
What to Expect When Interviewing at a Startup: Sam Franklin shares his experience of how to prepare for a startup interview.
The 10 Commandments of Salary Negotiation: Lenny Rachitsky asks Niya Dragova, co-founder of Candor, to share her salary negotiating wisdom with his readers in Lenny’s Newsletter. The advice in here is golden!
33 questions to help evaluate a startup job offer: What questions to ask a potential startup employer to evaluate its product, business model, finances, and leadership.
I hope you enjoyed this latest addition of Satya Creates! I’ll be experimenting every month with different formats to deliver you practical and tactical information to support your personal and career development!