3 ms·

From the perspective of a good (I think) developer who isn't focused on startup work at the moment, it would be extremely unlikely for me to accept a position a

From the perspective of a good (I think) developer who isn't focused on startup work at the moment, it would be extremely unlikely for me to accept a position as tech employee #1 at a startup with no established market, no market-ready product, and no technical vision. The work and risk for me are high and even if we succeed, I don't get any share of the profit. If I do, then you're talking about equity, which basically makes them a cofounder. I'm not saying that business people are useless, but ideas are cheap. I have no incentive to go work for a company with a lot of stress that may simply fold in a year. Basically, I'd get the same money working for Microsoft in a better environment.

dasil003 16y ago
If I do, then you're talking about equity, which basically makes them a cofounder. Early employees typically get options between 0.5-2.0% vesting over several years, and they almost always get a salary. This is an order of magnitude less equity than founders and potentially a lot more cash in hand. As a #1 employee of a startup currently, I can tell you that the experience of doing a startup is well worth it regardless of the equity. The reason is because you may have all the technical chops in the world (I had 10 years experience of web development), but to actually be in an environment where you personally are responsible for a double-digit percentage or even a majority of the product is invaluable. Now certainly I don't get paid what I would at Microsoft, but it's an investment in my future. At Microsoft my entire impact may be erased by political infighting. Or I may be tragically under-utilized because there are bigger concerns that I just don't fit into. Whereas in a startup I learn how to ship software and make it work with real meaningful feedback direct from the market. It's not some middle manager breathing down my neck trying to make himself look good. It's "the work I do has a real significant effect on the success of the company and my future career prospects."
- Locke1689 16y ago
  I guess I don't see that as completely fair (unless there is already a technical cofounder in your startup who can act as the technical vision of the startup). There are at least as many important technical decisions to be made while building a startup as business decisions. Why stick yourself with an order of magnitude less equity than the founder? If it actually succeeds you're as responsible as the non-technical founder. Note that I'm not speaking of startups with established technical founders. I would very very seriously consider working at a startup as a technical employee if they already have good technical vision.
  - dasil003 16y ago
    Well, without going into too much detail, every startup is different. In our case, our business deals make or break the company, and the technology is not a differentiating factor. That is, we must be competent in technology, but we are not innovating there. In any case, it's a moot point. I took the package on offer because it seemed a fair deal to me at the time, and I don't regret it. The experience alone was worth it for a valley first-timer like me, and I'll have a big leg up in whatever I do next. Whether it's joining another startup as an employee or founding my own startup, I now have a track record and experience that will serve me equally well either way.

dasil003 16y ago

If I do, then you're talking about equity, which basically makes them a cofounder. Early employees typically get options between 0.5-2.0% vesting over several years, and they almost always get a salary. This is an order of magnitude less equity than founders and potentially a lot more cash in hand. As a #1 employee of a startup currently, I can tell you that the experience of doing a startup is well worth it regardless of the equity. The reason is because you may have all the technical chops in the world (I had 10 years experience of web development), but to actually be in an environment where you personally are responsible for a double-digit percentage or even a majority of the product is invaluable. Now certainly I don't get paid what I would at Microsoft, but it's an investment in my future. At Microsoft my entire impact may be erased by political infighting. Or I may be tragically under-utilized because there are bigger concerns that I just don't fit into. Whereas in a startup I learn how to ship software and make it work with real meaningful feedback direct from the market. It's not some middle manager breathing down my neck trying to make himself look good. It's "the work I do has a real significant effect on the success of the company and my future career prospects."

Locke1689 16y ago
I guess I don't see that as completely fair (unless there is already a technical cofounder in your startup who can act as the technical vision of the startup). There are at least as many important technical decisions to be made while building a startup as business decisions. Why stick yourself with an order of magnitude less equity than the founder? If it actually succeeds you're as responsible as the non-technical founder. Note that I'm not speaking of startups with established technical founders. I would very very seriously consider working at a startup as a technical employee if they already have good technical vision.
- dasil003 16y ago
  Well, without going into too much detail, every startup is different. In our case, our business deals make or break the company, and the technology is not a differentiating factor. That is, we must be competent in technology, but we are not innovating there. In any case, it's a moot point. I took the package on offer because it seemed a fair deal to me at the time, and I don't regret it. The experience alone was worth it for a valley first-timer like me, and I'll have a big leg up in whatever I do next. Whether it's joining another startup as an employee or founding my own startup, I now have a track record and experience that will serve me equally well either way.