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Considering that this is a startup community, it's really surprising to see the amount of negativity in the comments here and on other "work for a startup" post

by axiom 16y ago

Considering that this is a startup community, it's really surprising to see the amount of negativity in the comments here and on other "work for a startup" posts. Is it just that a lot of people here have been burned by enough startups that they're cynical?

lylejohnson 16y ago
I think sites like HackerNews can give readers like me a bit of a romanticized view of how startups work. Most of the startups that I read about on HackerNews are the ones that are successful enough to, you know, get written about and publicized via HackerNews (or TechCrunch, or whoever). We don't hear much about the numerous failures. I can imagine that if I ran off and joined a startup solely based on the rosy outlook that I got from reading all these success stories, and then found out the hard way how things really are, I might be a bit cynical too.
timr 16y ago
I think it's a reaction to the over-the-top rhetoric that gets tossed around on HN, especially the "startups are a great learning experience!" sentiment that seems to prevail. That kind of thinking is a recipe for exploitation, especially of less business-savvy people. I like startups, but you definitely have to go in with your eyes open, and most new grads don't know anything about business or negotiation. There are a ton of douchebags in this world who are only too happy to exploit cheap labor to line their own pockets. If you've got the means, starting a company is nearly always a better risk/reward trade-off than working for someone who is starting a company.
- mscarborough 16y ago
  > I like startups, but you definitely have to go in with your eyes open, and most new grads don't know anything about business or negotiation. There are a ton of douchebags in this world who are only too happy to exploit cheap labor to line their own pockets. If you've got the means, starting a company is nearly always a better risk/reward trade-off than working for someone who is starting a company. Well yes, of course. But there is a sweet spot for this for people that want to learn a lot, and do not have the means or motivation for running their own business. So many great technical people are of this persuasion at some point in their lives. Working at a startup that you care about is a great way to fill in the gaps: figuring out what you do not know yet but would like to understand. Working at a large company has its advantages too. You learn how those orgs work, and how to navigate different situations than what you see at startups. Other folks on HN have said it before and better than I, but ultimately if you want to go into business for yourself, until you understand both, you may not understand the full potential of your business.
nostrademons 16y ago
A lot of the people here have been burned by enough startups that they're cynical.

by axiom 16y ago

lylejohnson 16y ago

I think sites like HackerNews can give readers like me a bit of a romanticized view of how startups work. Most of the startups that I read about on HackerNews are the ones that are successful enough to, you know, get written about and publicized via HackerNews (or TechCrunch, or whoever). We don't hear much about the numerous failures. I can imagine that if I ran off and joined a startup solely based on the rosy outlook that I got from reading all these success stories, and then found out the hard way how things really are, I might be a bit cynical too.

timr 16y ago

I think it's a reaction to the over-the-top rhetoric that gets tossed around on HN, especially the "startups are a great learning experience!" sentiment that seems to prevail. That kind of thinking is a recipe for exploitation, especially of less business-savvy people. I like startups, but you definitely have to go in with your eyes open, and most new grads don't know anything about business or negotiation. There are a ton of douchebags in this world who are only too happy to exploit cheap labor to line their own pockets. If you've got the means, starting a company is nearly always a better risk/reward trade-off than working for someone who is starting a company.

mscarborough 16y ago
> I like startups, but you definitely have to go in with your eyes open, and most new grads don't know anything about business or negotiation. There are a ton of douchebags in this world who are only too happy to exploit cheap labor to line their own pockets. If you've got the means, starting a company is nearly always a better risk/reward trade-off than working for someone who is starting a company. Well yes, of course. But there is a sweet spot for this for people that want to learn a lot, and do not have the means or motivation for running their own business. So many great technical people are of this persuasion at some point in their lives. Working at a startup that you care about is a great way to fill in the gaps: figuring out what you do not know yet but would like to understand. Working at a large company has its advantages too. You learn how those orgs work, and how to navigate different situations than what you see at startups. Other folks on HN have said it before and better than I, but ultimately if you want to go into business for yourself, until you understand both, you may not understand the full potential of your business.

nostrademons 16y ago

A lot of the people here have been burned by enough startups that they're cynical.