Creative license: the trend i have seen at startups is moving more in the direction of product and designer control over the things a company creates. For devel

Creative license: the trend i have seen at startups is moving more in the direction of product and designer control over the things a company creates. For developers seeking control over their creations, this can be a frustrating thing to be a part of. Even at small startups, the value of designers and product managers is pretty obvious. It can be tough to find the right balance of control there. Sexism: this is a tough topic. I worry that the people who care are not part of the problem, yet they tend to beat themselves up about it more than those who arguably should. I want more of everyone in tech, but to a large extent my ability to affect change in this area is crippled insofar as i have a job at a startup which requires lots of hours. Hours/Appreciation: I've been a part of a few startups where employees, especially engineers, care more than they arguably should. High senses of responsibility are amazing assets for a company, but they rarely get appreciated as much as they deserve. When leaders see lagging growth or declining numbers, they try to incite urgency in the ranks. Those working the hardest often take that urgency to heart the most, which can leave them feeling really disheartened that their above-and-beyond efforts to this point have gone unrecognized. I'll close on a positive by saying that i love the tech and startup industries. They provide so many people opportunities they wouldn't have had otherwise. Like every industry, there are problems. Picking the size and culture of the company you work at changes the landscape of those problems, so be conscious which you are sensitive to and choose accordingly. If you are happy to trade reduction in control for stability, bigger companies probably your jam, for instance.