Zombie startups can hurt people in more ways than just a lack of a big payday. I joined a zombie startup. I wasn't there for the quick money or the get rich qu

Zombie startups can hurt people in more ways than just a lack of a big payday. I joined a zombie startup. I wasn't there for the quick money or the get rich quick scheme or anything like that. Yes, the potential of a payday was part of the equation, but I joined because I hadn't been at a startup in 15 years and I was in a place in life where I had alignment on motivation, financial stability, ability, and desire to contribute. I went in wanting to work hard, do great things and have a lot of fun in the process. If there were great financial rewards that would've been great. So, it's not all about the money. I lost a year of my career working at this dump that turned out to be a zombie. And it's a facepalm now, but all the warning signs were there: great coverage in the press, awards, prizes and so forth, a continuous source of funding through VCs and private investors, lots of customers, etc. I didn't see the warts until it was too late. It wasn't until a few months in that I realized that it was operating like a comfortable place to just put in 8 hours a day for most people. The bureaucracy was worse at this 200 person company than it was at the large company I'd left.